A Day in the Life
by DoctorGirlfriend
Summary: After it's all over and things go back to normal, what's a spirit fox to do? Kurama wasn't expecting to get sent out into the world to live his own life. Or the troubles that can still plague a demon in the human world. Eventual KuramaxOC
1. Chapter 1

A Day in the Life

Yeah, I thought I was done with fanfiction, but I made the mistake of watching YYH the abridged series (Look it up on Youtube. Now.) and got sucked back in. I totally haven't been able to concentrate on my other projects since.

I don't have a plot except: 'what the Hell does Kurama (and the others) do after the show?' Damn, that makes it almost literary, jk.

* * *

Normal was a relative term, as all of them knew, and for Kurama it meant working most days, with the occasional side of peace-making trips to the Makai and a spot of pest control if something got a few too many ideas in the human world. Some half-breed had been idiotic enough to challenge Yusuke the month before. They had all shown up, not to help, but to stand around and chuckle until Yusuke had punched it through a couple buildings as a warning to mind it's place. That was usually enough to teach them.

Kurama didn't see Yusuke much, but he made a point of stopping by the ramen stand every couple of weeks for a bowl. Sometimes he'd pick the same day as Kuwabara and sometimes he'd have the former demon king to himself. He brought flowers this time, for Keiko, who wasn't there yet. Yusuke rolled his eyes but Kurama shrugged as he set the flowers down and took his seat at the counter.

"There's a sale every evening at the flower shop two blocks towards the metro," he said.

"Jeeze, you always gotta make me look bad," Yusuke groaned. "Once she sees those I'll never hear the end of it!"

"Maybe one day you'll learn your lesson and buy her a present without being told to."

While they were talking Kuwabara called. He had another math question and Kurama talked him through it while Yusuke shouted obscenities.

Days went by just as they had before he'd had to help save the world. Well, except for the fact that there were more demons on the street. But they were almost all on their best behavior, knowing that Urameshi was around and he didn't like anybody messing with his country.

"Shuichi, Hatanaka and I have been talking," Shiori says as they sit down for dinner.

He had moved into his own apartment once he'd started working, but she insists he come over at least twice a week to eat. She still doesn't trust him to feed himself. He tries to look politely curious but his stomach is already sinking. He knows what this will be about. Hatanaka had introduced him to every woman in the company who was under 25, and even a few who were over it. They were all pretty, pleasant, enamored with him and normal. Normal like he is supposed to be. He has never been very interested in normal.

"We think you should go back to school."

Kurama's eyes widen as he is actually caught off guard.

"What?"

"Don't take this the wrong way," Hatanaka says quickly. "You're doing a great job. In fact, too good. Shuichi, you're smart enough to do anything."

The problem is that he doesn't really care for anything in particular.

"I know you've been saving up money," Shiori says. "But we can help you. We want you to take the entrance exams. Maybe even go into Tokyo."

They are only a short way outside the capital, it isn't that far, but the idea of moving away from his mother panics him briefly.

"You'd friend Kuwabara is going to college there, isn't he?" his mother says. Possibly she has caught a hint of his apprehension. "You wouldn't be alone. And I know you'll make friends quickly."

She smiles at him then and that is that. He knows he'll do whatever she asks.

"If you think it's for the best," he says slowly, looking between them.

"We do," Hatanaka says. "I don't want you to think you're obligated to work at the company. And just think of it this way, Shuichi, you can go on to run any company and then take care of us when we're old!"

The adults burst into laughter at that and Kurama joins in with a polite chuckle. Already his mind is racing: entrance exams, college, moving. They're pushing him away like normal parents would. They want him to develop his own life. It's not something he looks forward to.

He gets into Keio University, because it will make them proud, and because it will annoy Kaito who's at Waseda University. His mother almost frames his acceptance letter, but he and Hatanaka manage to talk her out of it. Yusuke is less impressed.

"What the Hell are you going to do in college?" he demands as he hands another patron their bowl.

"Shut up," Kuwabara says from beside Kurama; it's his semester break and he's come home for a week. "He can do anything he wants."

"Yeah," Yusuke quips, "but he doesn't want to go to college. That's why he didn't go in the first place, dumbass. Jeeze, you think getting through high school would have meant you were actually getting smarter!"

"Urameshi, we can take this outside," Kuwabara growls, hands planted on the counter and half-way out of his seat.

Kurama still finds himself amused by their antics and tries to hold back a chuckle as the other two glare at each other. Yusuke's even brandishing a ladle. They all know that Yusuke could crush Kuwabara with his pinkie finger and that neither will ever acknowledge it.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Kurama sighs and stirs his noodles. "I don't even know what I'm going to major in."

"Biology."

"Botany."

"Hey," Yusuke says, "don't steal my answer!"

"They're different things, you idiot!" Kuwabara exclaims.

"You could become a doctor," Keiko says.

Yusuke and Kuwabara start as she slips into the seat beside Kurama, dropping her book bag at her feet.

"Gods, I'm tired. I had so many classes today!"

"Not everybody wants to take care of sick people," Yusuke says with a roll of his eyes as he goes to get her food. "I think one doctor in our group is enough."

"Ha," she snaps back. "Maybe if you all hadn't spent so much time getting yourselves beat silly I would have picked something you liked better, Yusuke."

"I like it fine," he says, holding up his hands, "I just don't want you all turning into doctors on me, like some freaky disease."

"Urameshi, what have you been drinking?" Kuwabara asks and Keiko rolls her eyes.

"He's just annoyed he's going to be your househusband," Kurama says in a low voice he knows they all can hear.

Keiko giggles but Kuwabara practically rolls off his seat as he laughs. The comment earns Kurama a glare from the former king.

"The deal works great for me," Yusuke says with a roll of his shoulders. "I help put her through college and med school and she's stuck buying me video games and food for the rest of our lives."

_Her life_, Kurama thinks. The others are still too young to see things that way and he knows it will be a dark day when Yusuke finally has to face the truth about being a demon. But for now things are smiles and jokes and he puts the thought aside as they come up with sillier and sillier career choices. Keiko suggests popstar and Kuwabara says actor. Yusuke says he should just become a gardener somewhere and spend all his time with his plants.


	2. Chapter 2

2

I have to admit something: I have a hard time picturing Kurama as Asian. Yusuke and Hiei I always see as Asian and most of the time that's how I picture Kuwabara. I think Kurama's red hair and green eyes just make my brain return a 404 error. Anyway, I was looking at pictures of different actors and I think Takuya Kimura is pretty close to how I imagine Kurama when I can picture him as Asian. He's even got fluffy red hair in some shots. Mainly this is an excuse to tell you all to go oggle a really attractive man.

Does anyone else have this problem of seeing the characters as white sometimes?

* * *

Tokyo is large enough to loose himself in. It reminds him of Yomi's city and how that was but a pale reflection of this hive of humanity. Humans may be weak but demons wish they were as clever. It's why Kurama likes them. He is stronger and smarter but humans still surprise him. Keio is in an upscale district, Minato-ko, filled with embassies and corporate headquarters and the wealthy. Not affordable housing for students. So, with Kuwabara's help he finds an apartment farther away. The commute isn't bad and Kurama doesn't mind the walk to and from the metro station. The streets are pleasantly crowded and he can melt into the ebb and flow of people.

He explores the city, sometimes with Kuwabara and Yukina, sometimes on his own. He still has to decide on a major and he takes his mind off it by visiting shrines. Jokingly he asks Inari for some guidance, knowing he's barking up the wrong tree. He's not one of her foxes after all. When he does manage to catch her attention she seems bemused by his presence. Kurama keeps wandering. In Jimbocho he finds a distraction.

She looks half-Japanese. That's the first thing that catches his eye. The tension singing from her suppressed aura catches his other senses. He can feel it trying to escape. She's looking at the books on a rolling cart in front of a bookstore, thumbing through secondhand romance novels. The fact that a demon as obviously powerful would just be casually looking through the books gives him pause and makes him slow down. She's dressed like any average young woman, with a knee-length skirt and way too much lace. He wonders how she's doing it, living a life that must also be predominately a lie.

Kurama slows more and decides to try looking through the books too, wondering if there's a secret in them. A key to getting along without any real purpose or drive to making the going worth it. He knows his mind is drifting ridiculously, but that's what it does when it doesn't have a challenge. Suddenly he wants nothing more than to run a hand through her brown hair, just to touch someone who knows what it feels like to be separated from the world.

Someone bumps him and he steps out of the crowd of pedestrians and towards the carts. The way she looks up: a graceful, controlled movement, sets him on edge. Old instincts die hard and when she turns her head to sweep the area around and behind her he's already judging her most likely plan of attack. Only, she doesn't attack. She doesn't even pause as her eyes pass over him. She turns back to the book, takes a single breath and then runs into the store faster than the humans around them can see. He almost stops from sheer surprise. He doesn't think twice about following her.

The bookstore is two stories tall inside and the familiar smell of old paper and ink wafts over him as he stands inside the doors looking around. He can hear rustling from the few people moving around the shelves, shifting things, breathing. A railing on the second floor creaks and Kurama glances up to see an old woman leaning on it while trying to reach a volume that's just above her fingertips. Kurama snifs the air and smiles to himself. Unfortunately for the demon, she's wearing an unusual scent and he strolls towards the back of the store following its trail. Even before he sees her he can hear her controlled breath and sense her straining youki. But when he steps in front of the aisle she's in, casually plucking a seed from his hair as he pushes it over his shoulder, he's surprised again.

"Please, Lord Kurama," she says as she backs down the aisle, one hand held in front of her to ward him off. "Whatever I did, I'm sorry."

He freezes. She's powering up. He can feel her energy uncoiling, but everything: her stance, her expression, even the way her youki is moving, is defensive.

"You think I'm going to hurt you," he says and his voice comes out flat. It's probably not reassuring, but it isn't a threat.

Her eyes flick from side to side, looking for a trap.

"I won't attack you," she says. "But I will defend myself."

Kurama closes his eyes and let out a breath before sagging sideways against the shelf. She doesn't shift and he can't hear her breathing. Her muscles have tensed and she's waiting for her body to decided on flight or fight.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he says slowly and drags his eyes open. "I just wanted to say hello." Her distrustful expression does nothing to make him feel better. "I've just moved to Tokyo," he barrels on recklessly. "And you're another demon. I didn't know if you were also new. I thought I would have noticed if you'd been in the area long."

Her hand is falling to her side and there's a sort of embarrassed expression on her face that perfectly fits what he's feeling.

"When you ran in here I was suspicious. I didn't realize you were running because you thought I meant to hurt you."

She laughs nervously and it's at once endearing and painful.

"It's hard to react differently," she says quickly, "when you see one of the most powerful creatures in the three worlds strolling in your direction. With intent."

Intent. Had he really looked like that? He was sure his face had been carefully blank and his posture the same, but he had turned towards her and maybe that had been enough. He steps back, out of the aisle and to the side, though he keeps leaning on the shelving. Without it he thinks he might just sink down and never bother to get back up. She slides past him, her back moving along the opposite shelves and she watches him over her shoulder as she walks away. Kurama thinks he sees a frown pull her lips down as she turns and hurries for the door.

He laughs bitterly when he tells Kuwabara about it and the human can't even hide his concern.

"Look, people just have jumpy days," Kuwabara says and Yukina nods sagely as she joins them at the table. "Maybe she was attacked recently and it made her nervous. You know most girls would throw themselves at you."

"Only the ones who don't mistake me for another girl," Kurama says and Kuwabara's laughter is slightly nervous.

"That only happened twice!"

Kuwabara doesn't mention that he's noticed a subtle shift in the demon's clothing towards the more masculine since those mixups. He doesn't really want to go there right now. But he also no longer worries that people will think he's cheating on Yukina when he goes somewhere with Kurama.

"I'm not interested in human girls," Kurama says.

Kuwabara sees the subtle way Yukina looks at him from the corner of her eye. He gives her a shrug that says 'guilty as charged' before returning his attention to his friend.

"I'm not saying they're not attractive," Kurama continues, half to himself, while the other two listen. "I just know it won't end well. That there's only so much pretending to be a normal human that I can do."

"There's spiritually aware humans too," Kuwabara says and they all know he's referring to his sister.

Kuwabara still doesn't know what happened and what went wrong there, but he'd always though it would be a good match.

"I'm tired of people dying before me," Kurama says.

Kuwabara cringes because he knows he's on that list, along with Keiko, Shiori, his sister, Kaito and Genkai, who's already gone. Genkai he's come to accept, but he's too young to be able to think about the rest of them in that way.

"Fine, so you're looking for another demon. There's plenty of them around. It just takes time and you," Kuwabara points at him to drive the point home, "have plenty of time. No need to freak out."

"Kazuma's right," Yukina says. And when Yukina talks they all listen because she chooses her moments and her words carefully. "Everything will work out if you just give it time. It's time you start thinking about what you want to do with your human life, not worrying about one demon's reaction."

She's right, of course. She has the unnerving habit of being right. All the women attached to their group do; that's probably how they all made it this far in the first place. He heads back to his apartment with his mind trying to focus on the future.


	3. Chapter 3

3

Kurama knows he's going to have to call Kaito and tell the pretentious fool that he was right. It's something he always hates doing because, one, it means admitting that he, Kurama, was wrong and two, it means practically watching the boy's head swell. Of course, Kaito isn't really a boy anymore, he's twenty-one, the same as Kurama's body, and starting his third year of college.

Kurama starts the conversation by telling Kaito he's going to be attending Keio. He asks if Kaito would like to meet up for lunch sometime since they'll both be in the city. He can hear his friend fuming on the other end and tells himself it's wrong to bait Kaito like this. That doesn't mean he feels guilty about it.

"Congratulations," Kaito says cooly. "I wondered what was taking you so long. I never expected it to take you three years to study for entrance exams."

Kurama only chuckles. He's glad Kaito's learned to fight back without resorting to stealing souls. And he knows Kaito knows he barely studied.

"There's a decent noodle shop by my apartment. They have excellent udon," Kaito says and Kurama can almost hear the smug smirk in his voice, "you'll like it."

Kurama just shakes his head at the fox reference.

The restaurant does have excellent udon, which means Kaito slides a little further into smugness. They're at a table in the very back, where the columns supporting the roof half obscure the rest of the long room from view. The walls are darker than fashionable and it gives the whole place a feeling like it's evening, in spite of the fact that the sun is blazing outside. There are two salary men sitting at the bar, drinking most of their lunch, and a couple of other college students clustered near the windows at the front.

"I'm the chief editor of our literary journal," Kaito tells Kurama as he orders them beers.

"Congratulations on your promotion," Kurama says. The last time it had come up Kaito had been writing short stories and trying to worm his way onto the staff.

"It's a ridiculous amount of work. I don't know how anybody does it longer than a year."

Kaito's a Japanese literature major with a heavy helping of English on the side. He's published articles on literary theory and is already setting himself up as a critic, but he'd really like to be a writer. He tells Kurama about it until they've finished their first beers and are halfway through seconds. Kaito has plans and Kurama can't help thinking about how, for once, he's lacking. Kaito's beating him at something and doesn't even know it.

"I have a girlfriend," Kaito informs him as the waitress whisks away their bowls.

"What's she like?" Kurama says and tries to hide his surprise. He's wondered about Kaito on more than one occasion.

"Cute," Kaito says and grins. The dim lights reflect off his glasses and his teeth. "She's an political science major but she also works for the journal. I think you'd like her. We'll all have to get dinner sometime."

"That would be nice," Kurama says with a faint smile. Point number two where Kaito is beating him. _By society's standards_, Kurama adds mentally. It's not like he wants a girlfriend, he tells himself. He doesn't need the emotional burden, or the irritation.

And then it comes out, the brief story unfolded with a warm chuckle to hide his embarrassment. Kaito tries to keep his amusement in check. It starts with a twitch at the corner of his mouth and by the time Kurama's describing how she slunk past him with her back against the shelves it's turned into full on laughter.

"I told you, didn't I?" Kaito says as he pulls off his glasses to wipe at his eyes. "I told you the only way the universe could be fair was if the first girl you actually paid attention to refused you. Ah," he sighs dramatically and spreads his hands before replacing his glasses. The light glints off them as he grins. "There is balance."

"Well, I knew you would find it amusing. I have to say I prefer your reaction to Kuwabara's concern." Kurama shrugs and lifts his hands, all casual detachment. Nothing shows of his lingering frustration.

They talk for a while longer and Kurama promises to meet Kaito's friends, perhaps even join them for movies. Kaito promises to only bring up the demon girl when he thinks Kurama's getting too full of himself.

What does he want to do? What does he want to major in? There isn't much more time before he has to decide. He has no idea. Kurama knows that his mother and her husband would be happy if he went into business, or science even, but they sent him to college because they wanted him to choose. He has no idea; he always planned on doing whatever would make his mother happiest.

* * *

"Grass-eating boy," a girl says and he starts because he recognizes her voice immediately.

They're on the same train car and she's only a few feet away. It isn't that crowded and most people have seats, so it's obvious she's talking to him. There isn't anywhere either of them can hide. She looks hesitant and she's twirling her hair with her free hand. How in the seven hells she got there is beyond his ability to calculate at the moment, because the fact that he didn't even notice her until she spoke is giving him far more to worry about.

"You were lost in your own thoughts." The demon girl smiles slowly and he find himself smiling back.

"I'm trying to decide on a major," he admits as he stands and offers her his seat.

"Oh no, I'm fine," she says with a wave of her free hand.

The car jerks to the side and she sways beside the pole she's holding. Her skirt swishes and it reminds him of the sound of silk kimono rustling.

"Please," he says. "I've been sitting too much today, anyway."

It's a lie, sort of, but it obligates her to sit down and she does. They're acting almost human and he can't helping being amused.

"Did you follow me?" he says as she settles in with her oversized purse on her lap.

"No," she says, looking at her hands before glancing up at him with a fragile smile. "Must be Hitsuzen. I stepped on and saw you and the doors closed before I could get off. I hope you're not offended that I would have run."

Hitsuzen. The strings of Fate. He doesn't believe in it but he does believe that she wouldn't have gotten onto the train had she realized he was there. It's only after thinking about it that he realizes how far he's suppressing his aura. The pause drags on until she breaks it.

"So, you're starting college?" she says casually, but her words are carefully polite and she doesn't look directly at him.

"Yes, I will be attending Keio University. What about you?"

"I work," she says and he would think she was being evasive if she wasn't trying to smile. "So, you haven't decided on a major. Hmm."

He waits and watches her, wondering what a demon who only knows him by his reputation will think. Going to college must be a strange idea to her, even if she isn't a typical demon in the human world. He's not worried that she'll look down on him as a human lover, she's riding the Tokyo metro!

"An intelligent man who likes challenges, figuring things out, breaking rules. You might as well start learning how to hack different computer systems, or have you already done that?"

Code breaking. Stealing. Out-thinking his opponents. All the things he's known for. And enjoys. He wonders if she watched the Demon World Tournament, if that's how she recognized him, and can't think of any other explanation. Well, any explanation that doesn't mean he's in imminent danger. He doubts he's in immediate danger on the metro and smiles slightly.

"I doubt that is an available major."

"Yes, but computer programming is, isn't it?" She smiles brightly, making eye contact and he wonders if her eyes are the same in her demon form. He wonders what she looks like. And what her reasons are for living in the human world.

"True," he says. "It is an option."

The subway begins to slow and he looks around, realizing he only has two more stops to go. She glances up and then jumps up, swinging her purse onto her shoulder, and grabbing the railing as the car grinds to a halt.

"My stop," she says, rising on her toes as the motion of the car tries to pull everyone standing to the floor.

"What's your name?" he asks impulsively.

Her smile turns mischievous and she wags a finger at him. "This is only the second time we've met. You'll have to wait until the third."

The doors slide open and she steps away from him.

"Do you think there will be a third?" he calls as she hurries towards the door.

"Hitsuzen," she calls back. "If we should meet again, we will."

When Kurama calls his mother to tell her that he's going to major in computer programming she's pleased and approves. Hatanaka adds his approbation as well and makes a few jokes Kurama laughs at. He doesn't tell them a complete stranger helped him make the decision. He still doesn't believe in Hitsuzen but he's not against coincidences. Or big brown eyes.

* * *

Jay: thanks! it's hard to try and keep them in totally character because everyone had their own slightly different version of what 'in character' means and it changes as we write. rewatching the series I can see the ways in my ideas of their personalities has changed from what's on screen

Carry: Thanks! it's great to hear that you've read my other stuff and liked that too :) Rereading some of it now does make me want to slap myself though, lol


	4. Chapter 4

4

I just introduced my little sister to YYH and she's now a Yusuke fangirl. She also thinks Kuwabara's funny but weird looking, Kurama's a hippy and Hiei is "cool but creepy."

Also, I've been leaving the 'h' out of Shuichi #fail.

* * *

Kuwabara thinks there's some deep meaning behind it all.

"Did you see the red string?" he asks in all seriousness. Behind him Yukina rolls her eyes as she unplugs the electric kettle. Kurama tries not to roll his as well. He and Kuwabara are sitting in the living room of Kuwabara and Yukina's small but neat apartment.

"There was no red string. And I'm too old to believe in that, Kuwabara."

"Well, it sure sounds like she believes in Fate!"

"They're not the same," Kurama says and can see Kuwabara gearing up for an argument.

"Kazuma, Kurama didn't come over to talk about Fate," Yukina says. "We're supposed to be planning Yusuke's birthday party."

"We'll have it at Genkai's. Everybody will bring food. There, it's planned."

Yukina sighs and Kurama just shakes his head. They still refer to the temple as Genkai's and they probably always will, even though Jin, Touya and Shishi live there full time with the others popping in whenever they feel like it. It's where they hold any big events, like birthday parties, and Keiko's already said she wants her wedding to be on the beach. Yusuke pretended not to know what the word meant.

"But what foods will people bring?" Kurama says slowly. Sometimes Kuwabara has to be worked round to agreeing to things. "We have to have some kind of plan or everybody might show up with soda and there'll be no food. Or what if everybody brings chips, but no dip?"

"No dip! That's sacrilege!"

"That's why we have to plan."

"Aw, all right. I'll bring the dip."

Yukina pats Kuwabara on the shoulder and they call Keiko to coordinate.

"How's the healing business going?" Kurama asks Yukina while Kuwabara tries to get his sister to answer her phone.

"Very well. I haven't advertised but the business has grown quickly. I have to thank you, Shizuru-san and Kazuma-kun for being so supportive. With all the people who claim to be reiki masters I didn't think anyone would pay any attention to me."

"Truth spreads," Kurama says. "And people are becoming more open to the idea."

"I suppose we have Koto, Juri and Ruka to thank for that," Yukina says with a small smile. "Enki certainly picked popular ambassadors."

Kurama has to chuckle. If there's one word to describe the trio it's popular. People may not believe their claims to be demons, but that didn't stop them from packing auditoriums and bringing up the ratings of whatever talk shows interview them. Koto is even publishing a book, her memoirs as Dark Tournament announcer, and it is a best seller, even before its release date.

Kuwabara puts a hand over the phone and looks over at them. "Shizuru says she's bringing the beer. I told her Atsuko'd already called it but she won't listen. Ugh, sisters."

"Tell her to bring some udon for Kurama-san instead," Yukina calls and Kuwabara grins before relaying the message.

Kurama lets out a sigh and leans backwards, putting out his hands to support himself. He puts up with the fox jokes but he's not exactly entertained by them. Especially, since Kuwabara and Yukina tend to be the worst offenders.

* * *

Classes start and he's surprised that the lectures aren't a complete cakewalk. Maybe he's been away from school too long and has gotten used to not having to memorize new information, or maybe he's finally found someplace that can begin to challenge him. Besides the arena. Whatever it is, he's actually engaged by at least half of them.

Shiori calls him at the end of his first day. While he doesn't rave and he tries to keep his voice calm and even, something of his enthusiasm must show through.

"I'm glad you like it, Shuichi," she says. She still can't get used to his friends' funny nickname for him, Kurama.

"Thank you, Mom, and thank Hatanaka-san too," he says.

"We're just glad you're somewhere interesting enough for you," she says and hears him about to protest. "No, no. I could tell and so could your step-father. You were acting the same way you did in middle school, bored but putting on a smile for me."

"Mom—"

"A mother knows, Shuichi."

Kurama can hear the smile in her voice and can't help smiling too. He's so glad she's alive. It's still something he thinks about and even with Enki's declaration of peace he can't help worrying still. Yusuke's sworn to watch out for her about a hundred times before Kurama even felt safe leaving for Tokyo.

"When are you coming back to visit?" she asks.

"After Yusuke's birthday party. I'll stop by on my way back to Tokyo."

"I'll make your favorite dinner," she promises and Kurama smiles because he knows it won't be fox food. "Oh, Shuichi-chan wants to talk to you. Hold on."

Kurama hears chatter in the background and then his step-brother has the phone and it telling him about school and the girl he likes, and his friends. He quizzes Kurama on Tokyo and especially on girls. He asks if they're hotter, if there's more of them and if Kurama has been to any maid cafes. Kurama just rolls his eyes. Shiori never says anything, she just keeps smiling, but that doesn't stop little Shuichi from asking prodding questions. Questions about Hiei. Questions about Kaito and Kuwabara and even Yusuke. Questions that annoy Kurama even though he hides it as well as he can. Sometimes he wonders if little Shuichi is less thrilled about their parents' marriage than he normally shows. If his perfect grades and going to work for the family company have made the younger Shuichi determined to find flaws. If their positions were reversed Kurama can imagine himself doing something similar, which is probably why he puts up with it so well.

"No," he says into the phone while flipping through the channels on TV. "I have not met any fabulously beautiful models and had them chase me down the street until I agreed to date them. I promise, you'll be the first person I call when it happens. And yes, of course you can all come visit, just not right before exams. Ok."

The phone switches back and Kurama says goodbye to his mother, who's laughing. The annoyance evaporates as he says goodbye. He wonders if it's too soon to call Yusuke an remind him to keep an eye on her. His hand hoovers over the buttons for a moment before he closes it, deciding he should probably give it a few more days.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews **Jaunty Maestro** and **Jay**!


	5. Chapter 5

5

I've been doing a lot of googling Tokyo's different wards and neighborhoods to get everything organized in my head. I hope I don't throw too much information at you all. Tokyo has 23 wards that make up the city, but I'm mostly dealing with 4-5 central wards that are all close together.

* * *

Kurama's apartment is in Shibuya, not far from the Shinjuku Gyoen. It's cherry blossom viewing time and he's snuck in early to avoid the crowds. It may have been a sleepless night, but he doesn't like to blame that for his wandering or his desire to look at the flowers. He stands on a dark path as the predawn light begins to seep around the edges of the world. The first glow catches the tops of the trees, illuminating them with a cool light that almost seems to come from inside. He reaches up and touches one of the soft pink flowers on a drooping branch and then looks past it to the ones near the top that are radiant in comparison.

Someone runs past him.

Kurama's seriously starting to wonder if there's something going on that he should know about.

Instead of stopping, she picks up her pace as she reaches a bend in the path. With the way the paths loop it won't take much effort to cut across the green space and arrive ahead of her, but it seems he doesn't put quite enough effort in or she's putting in far too much because she's already past him by the time he steps out of the tangle of flowers.

"Wait!" he calls, but it's probably the slight way he lets more of his youki leak out that brings her to a screeching halt. They're in a garden and it would be madness for her to fight him here. Even trying to ignore him when he doesn't want to be ignored could count as suicidal.

"You should probably stop stalking me," she says as she slides the headphones off her ears and leaves them dangling around her neck. There's a faint glisten of sweat on her neck and he wonders how long she's been running. Most demons wouldn't have any problem with a run across the city, let alone a jog through the park.

"I believe I was here first," he says mildly and her head whips back so she can glare at him.

"Well maybe you shouldn't suppress your youki so damn much so I would know to steer clear of you. And!" she adds loudly before he can interject. "I've been running here for the past five years, so I was here first."

She's not so timid anymore and he wonders if it's because it's the first time they've met in the open with no humans in sight. He wonders if she fears confined spaces and if she's an animal spirit because they never react well to being hemmed in. He would know. But out in the open, even facing a more powerful opponent, the wind can get to you and make you more arrogant than you have any right to be.

"Perhaps we should establish a schedule then," he says half-jokingly though his tone may not convey that. "What times would you like the park?"

"Whenever I have to run," she says, turning away from him and reaching for her headphones.

"So," he says before she can put her headphones back on, "this is the third time. Will you tell me your name?"

She looks back at him, one hand on the headphones, the other poised for something. He's not sure what. "Only if you'll tell me your human name," she returns.

"Fair enough," he replies and stuffs his hands in his pockets, wondering just when he started getting so suicidal again.

"Chouko," she says with a slight smile. It means butterfly.

"And your other name?" he asks. Her smile only widens.

"Gauri. Shiro in Japanese. You?"

"Minamino Shuichi," he says and can see her rolling it around to get the feel of the name.

"Interesting," she says and leaves it at that.

_Shiro Chouko_, Kurama thinks to himself, but he's definitely never heard the name before. Gauri is another matter altogether.

"Which Gauri?" he asks abruptly and she starts.

"One of the girls," she replies with a little laugh. "Have you heard of us then? We're practically a herd. Everybody has far too many children to keep track of."

He's heard of Gauris, but he can't recall anything specific or important, and he doesn't remember ever thinking any of them needed paying attention to.

"Why have I heard that name before?" he muses. He doesn't expect her to answer.

"Almost all my brothers worked for Mukuro," she says with a shrug. "I think one or two made it to her top 77. My father used to be one of Yomi's minor advisors."

"Then what happened?" Kurama can't help asking in spite of the final way she said 'used to.'

"Then Yomi got displeased," she says and sets her shoulders like she thinks he's been loyal to Yomi in the past thousand years. "And I have hundreds of cousins. You've probably killed a few."

That makes him cringe a little. He withdraws into himself without moving or taking his eyes from her. It makes him realize how loose he was being, how careless. Even if she's a girl he can't assume she isn't dangerous.

"What's on your wrists?" he asks, changing the topic as clumsily and abruptly as Yusuke.

He's noticed the sweatbands-like things on her wrists are glowing faintly in the growing light.

"Youki suppressors," she says, holding up her arm so he can see the faint wards. "Otherwise I'd have to run to Mt. Fuji and back to work up a sweat. Makes exercising easier."

"So, a schedule?" he says.

"Yes," she bares her teeth slightly and they're all perfectly flat and straight. She doesn't even look like she has canines. It's an odd look on a demon.

She's about to say something else when she cocks her head to the side and holds up a hand. Kurama listens and he can hear it to, the whirr of a small motor headed in their direction.

"Groundskeeping," she says. "I normally miss them, but they don't mind me when they catch me. You're another matter."

"Shall we discuss this later?" he asks and isn't quite sure why he does it. He could just pick another park, but this one is close to his house, and he likes the flowers. It's not that he's interested in finding out more about this Shiro Chouko, he tells himself.

"There's the Chinese pavilion," she says and points down one of the paths.

He nods.

"This afternoon, around three?"

"That's fine."

"Don't ambush me," she says and then snaps the headphones back over her ears. She doesn't give him time to respond and she runs like she means it.

"That's funny," he says to the trees. "I was about to say the same thing."

* * *

She's there before him. Kurama assumes she got into position early because she's reading a book. The pavilion has a swooping, red Chinese roof and intricate latticework tourists love. The builders set it beside a tranquil pond and the main level is raised to catch sweeping views of the traditional Japanese garden. It's a beautiful spot packed with people admiring the cherry blossoms from more of a distance. She's sitting on a curved bench on the narrow balcony, just on the other side of a railing that's keeping everyone else off the balcony. He wonders if it's a deep-seated sense of self-preservation or some kind of trick that's stopping anyone from noticing her and telling her to get back on the correct side.

He strolls over and leans on the railing, noticing as he does so that people move away. It doesn't seem to be conscious on their part and he sniffs the air, wondering if there's enough youki in it to spur a human to edge away.

"What are you reading?"

Slowly, she breathes in and without looking up at him, she reads:

"Go thou to Rome,-at once the Paradise,  
The grave, the city, and the wilderness;  
And where its wrecks like shattered mountains rise,  
And flowering weeds, and fragrant copses dress  
The bones of Desolation's nakedness  
Pass, till the spirit of the spot shall lead  
Thy footsteps to a slope of green access  
Where, like an infant's smile, over the dead  
A light of laughing flowers along the grass is spread;"

Kurama blinks because that brief stanza has told him far more than he expected to learn from her. That she speaks English, reads English, and likes 19th century romantic poets, for a start. He might not know the work off hand, but he recognizes the style. It also tells him that she's a tactful judge, the imagery is carefully chosen, he supposes, to appeal to him. Though he isn't about to admit that he finds the idea of desolate, flower-covered ruins striking. He isn't sure why she'd choose it since she isn't exactly looking thrilled to see him.

"It's Shelly," she says when he doesn't respond immediately. "An English poet. You probably don't know—"

Kurama does know who Shelly is because he's friends with Kaito. He doesn't know how she knows Shelly and he's a little upset to discover that he wants to find out.

"How old are you?" he asks abruptly and surprises both of them.

She smiles up at him and shakes her head. "Don't you know better than to ask a woman a question like that?"

"Demons don't mind," he replies and sees her smile falter slightly.

"Old enough that I managed to stay on this side when Spirit World put up that barrier," she says after a pause. That makes her five hundred, at least, and probably older. It means he had better not underestimate her just because she plays afraid and helpless, and wears lacy skirts.

"So when would you like the park?" he asks genially enough for someone who's trying to guess just how the person he's talking to might kill him.

"Mornings, before it opens," she says without hesitation, but her eyes have gone nervous, like she knows what he's thinking.

"I would like the chance to spend some time here without the crowds, as well."

"You can have it nights, after closing. Open hours are open hours, so how about we just keep an eye out for each other's auras? And not hide them completely."

"Fair enough. What if someone else wanders in?" he asks.

"The other Tokyo demons know what's what. They don't come here. You really are new to the city, aren't you?"

"I've been here less than a month," he says, which is almost not a lie. "I'm afraid I haven't been keeping tabs on the demon community like I should. I've been caught up in human affairs."

Her eyes slide up to his and then past him to the ceiling. She sighs and sinks back against the wall, letting the book fall closed in her lap.

"I guess we can pretend to be civilized long enough for me to explain things. Most demons in the city are just trying to get by as humans. Those that aren't are weak and know better than to get in my way. There are only a few demons worth paying attention to and we all try to live in different wards. You're in Shibuya now so I'm going to guess the guy who lived there before is keeping to the opposite end or has moved further south.

"There's two in Minato and they're nervous that you go to school there. Nervous in the sense of thinking of moving, not thinking of attacking you. I live in Shinjuku as do a pair of tanuki. Leave them alone, they're harmless."

She talks like she thinks he's there to pick fights and he finds it slightly embarrassing. He wants to tell her he's just there to live as a human, but she's still talking.

"I'd advise against wandering Akihabara at night. There isn't anyone powerful enough to hold Chiyoda living there, so, it's where all the brats who think they're going to be somebody live. They love picking fights and it's a hassle when you're trying to carry shopping bags. They nearly broke my WiiFit."

Kurama can't help smiling at the thought of this girl being attacked and being more concerned about her electronics than herself.

She gives him a brief outline of the rest of the city that makes it clear there's plenty of demon politics going on behind human facades. It also makes him aware of just how closely everyone's been watching him and how much attention the demon community pays him. It's more than he'd like. Kurama thought he had melted back into the human crowd after the tournament three and a half years ago, but now he realizes that he's too powerful for other demons to ignore. He's a danger to them all.

* * *

A big thanks goes to Jay and Elise for reviewing last chapter :D


	6. Chapter 6

6

Shark week starts on Sunday!

* * *

A group of foreign tourists wander into the pavilion, their cameras at the ready. They make for the corner Kurama's in because it's the least crowded and he frowns as suddenly people are pressing in behind him, pushing him up against the railing as they try to get a look out over the pond. This is what he gets for going into the park during cherry blossom viewing. He wonders why these humans aren't as put off by his demonic aura, if it's a higher tolerance for demons, or less perceptiveness. He sees Shiro Chouko watching them with narrowed eyes then feels a slight shift in her youki. She hasn't increased her power, just altered the harmonics slightly, but it makes the tourists jumpy. He thinks they're complaining about the heat because suddenly they're all fanning themselves and moving away.

"A nice trick," he remarks as he watches them go.

"It's funny how different parts of the demon world are connected to different parts of the human world and how the humans seems to have adapted to it. The demons in the area connected to Europe tend to resonate lower. Africa is higher." Her youki shifts back and he studies it, wondering why she bothered to learn how to do it. Why she stayed in human world and if she's as powerful as him. Her statement about staying implies she's A class.

"You've traveled a lot," he says, paying attention to her body language.

She shrugs. "It's a good way to keep from getting bored."

"Yet travel around the city is restricted," he says slowly and watches the way her muscles tense. "What if I want to go to Shinjuku?" Kurama says, in part because there are parts of the city he legitimately wants to explore, and in part because he wants to see how far he can push her.

"Don't show up at my house, don't follow me around and don't just linger," she says, pointing up at him. "It's fine for us to go to the other wards when we have things to do, but just hanging out in someone else's territory is pretty close to a challenge."

"I have a friend who lives there. Are you telling me going to visit him would be challenging you?"

"That depends," she says, tilting her head to the side and smiling faintly. "Anything can be made into a challenge with the right tone."

"True enough, Shiro-san."

"Chouko," she says. "We're demons, Shuichi-kun, so there's no need to be formal."

"Or polite," he laughs. "So, if I go shopping on Sunday I don't have to worry about you and a pair of angry tanuki sweeping down on me?"

"I'll let them know you're trying to have a little fun with us," she sighs, "but I don't want to get stuck in the middle of some trickster war."

A phone rings suddenly and makes them both jump. The sirupy j-pop turns out to be the demoness' ringtone. Kurama isn't sure how he feels about the rhinestone stickers decorating her baby blue phone, or fuzzy white dog charm dangling from it. It really isn't the sort of thing he thinks a thousand year old demon should be carrying. She catches him staring as she slides the phone open and begins texting.

"I love these things!" she exclaims, giving the phone a little shake. "I swap out the covers every month because there's just too many options!"

She sends off the text and the thing chirps at her. A different song plays out and she frowns at the number before answering the call. When she speaks her voice is calm and even, almost professional sounding.

"Hello... Yes." Her eyes dart to Kurama. "I'm with him now. Still... He said he hasn't been paying attention to demon affairs... Don't worry, I told him. No," she pauses and her eyes flick towards him again. He makes no pretense about watching her. "He seems to plan on going wherever he wants... Yes, he was reasonable about the park. I can hand the phone over if _you'd_ like to talk to him... Hmph, didn't think so."

It goes on for another minute or two and when she's done talking Kurama doesn't really give her time to collect herself.

"So they have your phone number?" he asks, leaning a bit further over the railing.

She holds her phone closer to herself, protectively, and while she doesn't quite lean away from him she does give the sense of withdrawing.

"Yes. Sometimes we have to call each other when our intermediaries are too slow or busy."

"Do you have the numbers of all your demon—"

"No," she says before he can finish. "I don't have all their numbers. But I do have the numbers of their representatives. I get along with the tanuki, that's why I moved to Shinjuku, and that's why we call each other. You want my number, don't you?"

He had thought he was being slightly more subtle than that, if not quite up to his usual standards. But he can't deny it now; it seems like a prudent course of action. If things are really so complicated in Tokyo she can at least keep him up to date and save him the effort of bullying lower demons into spying for him. He doesn't think about any other possible reasons he might have for wanting her number. Like those eyes, which have turned rather accusing.

"Yes," he says after a slight pause. "I think it would be wise if I could contact you."

"Fine," she sighs and recites a number.

He calls her then so she'll have his number and again he's disturbed by the cheery noises her phone makes. And the way the rhinestones shine. He's seen a firmer side of her now and it clashes with the soft, weak girl she's playing.

"Stalker," she mutters under her breath as she drops the phone into her purse.

"Be glad I'm _not_ stalking you, Chouko-san. And if anyone decides I am too much trouble to be allowed to remain in the city, I would appreciate it if you would let me know."

"Fine," she says, and for the first time he hears her voice falter. "But now you're not allowed to kill me, or send someone to kill me."

He only inclines his head in response and leaves her to interpret that how she wants. She knows just a tad bit too much about him, he decides as he turns and walks away. Which means he shouldn't be surprised that he makes her nervous.

* * *

(where Chouko's sitting: www DOT flickr DOT com/photos/shinyai/434370119/in/photostream/)

Jay: Thanks! I'm impressed you actually pulled up a map!

Elise: After the Three Kings Arc there have to be demon politics! there's no escaping it! :D


	7. Chapter 7

7

Sharks jumping straight out of the water is awesome. That is all.

* * *

Kurama tells Yukina and Kuwabara about how the demons divided up the city.

"But what about me?" Yukina says.

"I suppose you aren't powerful enough to be taken into account."

"Hey!" Kuwabara exclaims and Kurama holds up his hands.

"It's not my opinion, Kuwabara, it's the assessment of the established demons here."

"I'm fine with it," Yukina says. "I would hate to be dragged into their politics."

"But, she's set up a successful reiki healing clinic!" Kuwabara continues. "How can they not count her?"

"Because she doesn't have prefecture-destroying power levels," Kurama sighs. "When I said the powerful demons, Kuwabara, I meant A-class and a few high B class."

"Wait," Kuwabara drawls, "there's at least one A class demon in each of Tokyo's wards? What the Hell!"

"Apparently there's three in Shinjuku," Kurama chuckles.

Kuwabara shudders.

"I don't think I'm gonna get used to that, ever," he says. "Not after the Dark Tournament."

"Most of them seem to be animal spirits, which explains their attachment to the Human World and their ability to hide from Spirit World," Kurama says more to himself than the others. "Most animal spirits are born in the Human World."

"So, they're like tengu and tanuki?" Kuwabara says. "I think I can handle that better than the idea of twenty more powerful Toguros running around."

Kurama's phone rings; it's Yusuke. The others go silent and Kurama takes a breath before answering it.

"Hello, Yusuke, what's up?"

"So, about my surprise party," the detective says without preamble.

"What surprise party?" Kurama asks and manages to keep from laughing.

Kuwabara stuffs his fist into his mouth and Yukina clamps both hands over her mouth to keep from giggling.

"The one you guys are planning. Don't try to trick me, Kurama," Yusuke's voice is trying to be serious but can't quite get there. "Anyway, next weekend doesn't work for me. I have to go outta town to see about some stupid haunted hotel. So don't plan anything for then."

"Yusuke, I know we normally throw you a party, but I'm busy all this month. I'm sorry," Kurama says.

He sees Kuwabara, fist still in his mouth, pinch his nose with his other hand to keep from making any noise, and nearly looses it. He has to look away and Yukina's on the verge of a giggle fit.

"Whatever," Yusuke says. "I know you'd make time for me. Just not next weekend. Oh, and bring your new girlfriend, I want to check her out."

"I don't have a girlfriend," Kurama replies while wondering where on earth Yusuke could have gotten that idea.

"Come on, Kurama," Yusuke says, "Kuwabara told me you were stalking some demon chick or something."

"I see," Kurama's voice cools and his eyes slide towards Kuwabara, who's trying out an innocent smile and scooting away from the table. "I'm sorry he misled you, Yusuke. I am not stalking anyone, nor do I have a girlfriend."

He hangs up the phone and turns back to the table, prepared to give Kuwabara a talking to, but all he sees are the bottoms of Kuwabara's feet as the boy runs down the hallway.

"Sorry! I forgot something at the store!" Kuwabara shouts as he barrels into the door. "Be back in a bit!"

"Oh, Kazuma," Yukina sighs and shakes her head. "Kurama, would you care for something to eat while we wait?"

For once Kuwabara has more patience than Kurama and the fox demon takes his leave of Yukina without getting the chance to have a little talk with his old friend.

* * *

Kurama goes shopping in Shinjuku. Yusuke's party is next weekend and he's trying to decide on a present. Akihabara would be a better place to look, what with Yusuke's love of video games, but Kurama can't help himself. He can't help giving people pokes to see how far he can push and just what he can get away with.

When he doesn't run into Chouko or even sense her in the area, he's surprised. He wonders if her absence is a sign of trust or fear, and decides if it's either, it's probably the latter. He would have offered to buy her lunch if she had made an appearance, but maybe that's a problem.

Kurama has spent so long trying to avoid getting attached to people that he's nervous when he finds himself trying to get to know someone. If she were a normal human he'd be able to shake off the urge and remind himself of the danger he puts other people in. Because she's a demon, well, that might be the whole reason he's paid her any attention at all. And the dangers associated with getting to know demons are completely different. It is quite possible she is or would be a threat to him and his family. He hasn't had a good threat in a long time. And then he wants to kick himself for thinking such a thing.

He spends far too much time on this train of thought before deciding on a present. Then he stops by Kaito's apartment to see the place and make excuses for the evening. Kurama knows he's supposed to be trying to be a normal human, but he still can't bring himself to go to karaoke with Kaito and his friends. Kaito seems to understand, but swears that one day he'll manage to drag Kurama along. Kurama doesn't say it, but he's thinking that one of them will have to be dead, or some kind of heinous blackmail involved before that happens.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews, dear readers, and thanks for reading this highly disjoined little story.


	8. Chapter 8

8

So I forgot to update earlier, because I'm silly.

* * *

It's a few days before Yusuke's party and Kurama is just getting off the escalator from the subway station near his apartment when he senses some unfriendly auras. He walks on unconcerned but pays attention as they follow him. There's three of them and five years ago they would have been enough to cause him concern. As it is, he knows he can take them just from their energy levels and the way they've synchronized their movements. They think they're sneaking up on him and he thinks it's pathetic.

The problem is they're in a crowded neighborhood in the late afternoon. Kurama wonders whether he should try to find a quiet alleyway to deal with his new friends, or just ignore them completely. He tries ignoring them but they close in on him, forming a triangle that's slowly collapsing as he walks home. After a few minutes he knows he could look around and pick them out from the normal humans on the street, but he doesn't bother. That would be giving them more attention than they deserve.

He passes a couple restaurants that are doing a good business with salary men who've just finished work. The demons are within a couple yards of him now and he looks around, wondering what type of confrontation this is going to be and if he's going to be able to choose his ground. He sees the one ahead of him a second later. The demon is dressed like a street thug, with cut off sleeves and tattoos going all the way up his arms. He would have a right to swagger and posture like he owned the place if he was in some small city but Kurama thinks Kuwabara could take this guy.

The thug stops in front of him and nods to the side.

"Ah, a convenient alley," Kurama remarks as another one comes to a stop next to him and the other brings up the rear. "We might as well step down it."

The demons don't seem amused by his cheerful tone and the glares intensify as Kurama sticks his hands in his pockets and strolls down the side street. He knows they must have planned this all out because a few feet in the alley turns and blocks the main road from view. It turns again further down so the street it connects to is also out of sight. There's a line of vending machines beside a doorway ahead and he wonders just what kind of reaction he'd get if he went over and got a drink. It would probably be amusing, but he'd probably also end up loosing the drink and he doesn't feel like wasting a hundred yen.

His hand bumps his phone in his pocket and he pulls it out as he walks past the vending machines. Kurama has an idea for something probably more insulting that getting a soda and he's weighing his options. The leader of the trio shouts as him to stop and face them and that helps him make up his mind.

Kurama calls Chouko and is surprised when she answers after only two rings. The demons are just plain staring at him as he turns to face them and holds up a hand to tell them to shut up.

"Yes?" Chouko draws out the word, making it a bit curious and not-quite exasperated. She doesn't add 'why are you calling me?' like he'd expected.

"I thought you said upstarts kept to Chiyoda," he says casually.

"I said they live there," she returns. "But once they convince themselves they're invincible they wander out to get their asses kicked."

"What's the protocol on dealing with them?" he asks her while smiling faintly at his would-be attackers. "You all seem to have so many rules in place, I'd hate to break them and offend somebody by not killing them in the correct manner."

"They're more like guidelines," she says and sounds like she's almost laughing. "Some people tend to be kinder than me. I don't like being attacked and I like to make sure it won't happen again."

And with that last sentence Kurama knows she kills, probably with brutal efficiency and little amusement. He can't see her playing around, or taking pity on anyone, not with the way she reacted to him in the bookstore. He can imagine her being worse to face than any of his friends because if you try to kill her she will kill you. She will not hesitate and she will not feel bad about it. It's an interesting trait in a demon of her level. Normally, high level demons enjoy a fight and playing with their food.

"Here's your warning," Kurama says to the demons in front of him while reaching up to his hair with his free hand. "Leave now and I'll let you live. I'm kinder than some other demons in this city. And stay out of my ward."

He hears her chuckle but then she pauses. "Don't use your rose whip," she says quickly. "That'll be a mess to clean up and this city is too big to assume you have time to hide the evidence. There's always someone walking down the street."

"What do you suggest then?" Kurama says as he twirls the rose and keeps his eyes on his opponents.

"You're a smart boy, I'm sure you'll think of something," she says.

"Don't be so confident!" the head thug shouts. "I'm Kai the—"

Kurama yawns. Chouko giggles on the other end of the phone.

"If we could skip to the part where you run away, I'd appreciate it," Kurama says. "Or if you want to die, that's fine too."

Kai, the thug, growls and begins to transform. His shirt tears, his muscles grow and hair sprouts along his arms. 'Hide the evidence' Chouko had said and Kurama is thinking of the best way to do just that. When the demon charges, Kurama is ready. The pavement between them cracks and contorts until, with a horrible noise, it rends and a demonic mimosa rears up. Its leaves curl around the demon and when his thrashing threatens to free him, another rises up to join in. After a minute he goes still and the plants withdrawn beneath the street to devour their prey.

"Oh look, a sinkhole," Kurama says as the plants disappear into the darkness. "It would be a shame to fall down there. Don't you agree?"

He looks up at the other two. They take off running.

"One down, two running," Kurama says into the phone and hears the girl on the other end give a dismissive snort.

"You should have killed them all," she says. "But I suppose this way they'll warn the others about you. You'll only have the ones that think they're really tough from now on."

"What about you?" he can't help asking. "Do they come after you?"

"No one's ever made it back," she says slowly. "So nobody knows what to expect. That makes them nervous enough that they usually leave me alone. There are more prestigious targets anyway. Like you."

Somebody shouts in the background on her end and Kurama catches something about a special order.

"I have to go," she says, "but you can call me again when you put on another show."

It's an invitation that almost makes him want to pick a fight. Or do something to make her giggle again. Kurama decides that something must be wrong with him and goes straight back to his apartment to pack. He needs to get out of Tokyo and now he's willing to skip Friday's class so that he can leave Thursday afternoon. Things feel out of joint; the metropolis heaves and bustles around him and he thinks he's loosing focus. Or focusing on something he shouldn't.

Hitsuzen.

He forces the word out of his mind as soon as he realizes it's floated to the surface. Kurama doesn't have the time for such nonsense.


	9. Chapter 9

9

The sight of a demon king sloppy drunk would be one to remember, if Kurama weren't so used to seeing it. Yusuke and Chu take turns trying to light alcohol on fire as they spit it out, not just out of their mouths, but out the temple doors and into the courtyard. Jin takes bets from the others and Keiko rolls her eyes as she and Rinku's girlfriend steadily eat all of Yusuke's favorite desserts. Kurama can't help laughing when Kuwabara demands his chance to try and has to be restrained by Touya and Jin.

"Hey Kurama!" Yusuke shouts across the room when he finally gives up. "You can handle a little fire, wanna try?"

If it were anyone but Yusuke...Kurama thinks. The others laugh uneasily, even in their intoxication they recognize dangerous ground, and Shizuru frowns and lights a cigarette.

Then Suzuka passes out, face first into Chu's 'Special Punch Bowl' and things really start getting interesting.

Kurama's phone rings in the middle of the party and he's wondering if it's his mother or Kaito when he glances down at the name. Neither. 'Shiro Chouko' flashes again and Kurama steps away from the others as he prepares to answer it. He's trying to imagine just what could motivate her to call him.

"I'm assuming you're not in Tokyo," she says by way of greeting and there's tension in her voice.

"I'm not," he says slowly.

"I'm also going to assume that you haven't been near a TV in the past two hours or you would already know why I'm calling."

"What's going on?" he asks, faintly alarmed by her clipped tone and what he thinks are sirens in the background.

"Are you near a TV?" she asks.

"Well, yes, but—"

"It'll be faster than me explaining it," she says with a huff.

He strolls towards Genkai's old set with its wonky rabbit ears. Jin and Touya have rigged it to get satellite, but they left the old antenna out of respect. The others are distracted, laughing, joking, punching each other and drinking. No one notices as he hits the power button and steps back. Chouko's still on the line, but she's silent and Kurama can definitely hear sirens in the background. The picture flashes onto the screen suddenly and Kurama takes a step back, nearly dropping the phone. Sound comes a second later, but it's muted and almost impossible to hear against the noise of the party. Kurama doesn't need to hear what the reporters are saying though. The picture is clear and the ticker running across the bottom of the screen gives just enough information.

"Gods," he mutters.

"This kind of mess is the reason we need Spirit World's interference," Chouko snarls. "All of us can be peaceful except one lunatic but we'll all be branded for it. So much for introducing ourselves to humans now."

The death toll flashes in the upper righthand corner. Hundreds of people suspected dead and impossible to confirm.

"Why the Tokyo Tower?" he breathes without thinking, forgetting even that there's someone listening to him.

"Because it's big and flashy. God, I hate upstart brats. He was up there for over an hour, hurling youki at anything that moved, anything that looked shinny or anything he hadn't vaporized yet."

"Kurama!" Yusuke calls. "What're you doing over there in the corner?"

They all laugh at first but Kurama doesn't move and even in this state it doesn't take them long to realize something's wrong. Kuwabara notices the TV first. Then there are steps, a couple slow at first and then everyone's running at once. They crowd in, staring, mouths hanging open. Again, Kuwabara's the first to react. He pulls out his phone and begins texting classmates.

"Did you stop it?" Kurama asks Chouko while everyone's distracted. The reporter and the news anchors seem unsure whether the blasts have stopped for good or not, but Chouko had used the past tense. It seems like she knows exactly what's going on.

"I'm not a good fighter," Chouko snaps back at him and the sirens in the background are louder now. "I was at work when it started but I got there in time for the main event. A gang of bigshot wannabes were guarding the bottom, but the others tore through them pretty quickly. The tengu from Minato, the one who lives in the Roppongi Towers—" Kurama makes a noise of acknowledgement. That demon is a tengu prince and lives it up in some of Tokyo's most expensive real estate. "He killed that overpowered ogre. So now we all owe him presents."

"Presents?" Kurama exclaims. "Why?"

"Because he took care of a problem for all of us. Anyway, I thought you ought to know—" She trails off like she's trying to find a way to end the conversation, but he has too many new factors to consider to let it drop this easily.

"What kind of present?"

"I'm giving him a torii gate at the shrine of his choice, but that's because I don't like getting into fights. I'm sure you would have jumped in if you had been here, so you can send him a food basket or something. He has an incredible sweet tooth."

"What about all the destruction?" he says, eyes glued to the television screen.

"Humans are good at making up explanations. Terrorists, with synchronized attacks. We'll help feed them that line. Clean up just enough to make that plausible and let the Self-Defense Forces know they had a little help today."

"So much for demon secrecy," Kurama murmurs and wonders what she'll say to that.

"Oh, the higher ups know already," she quips. "The humans in charge have always known, they've just convinced the masses it was all a fairy tale. It makes it easier to control them."

"Such cynicism," Kurama can't help muttering.

"Remember who's spent more time in the human world, Shuichi-kun," she says and the use of his human name startles him. "I'm sorry I interrupted whatever you're doing, I'll let you get back to it now."

"Will you help me choose a present?" he asks on impulse and almost instantly regrets it. So much for clearing his head with mountain air. Or alcohol.

"What?" she asks and her embarrassment is clear even over the phone.

"For the tengu; you seem to know what's appropriate and I'd appreciate your guidance."

She makes an unhappy noise, but doesn't decline.

"I'll buy you lunch, of course," he adds.

"No, you won't."

"Why not?" he asks and expects her to refuse to eat with him on some sort of demon etiquette grounds.

"Because I have a job and you don't," is what she says instead. "You're not buying me anything. I'll help you because I don't want you accidentally starting a fight with your bad manners."

A siren blares and it sounds like it's in the room with her. Kurama wonders where she is and what she's doing there, especially if emergency services have arrived. Whatever she says next is lost in the background noise and then the connection goes dead. She's hung up.

Kurama's left staring at the phone for a moment before he remembers to check on Kaito. But the lines are busy and he can't get through. Kuwabara's having the same trouble, as are Shizuru and Yukina.

The rest of the evening is spent trying to get through and watching the TV. Keiko cries. Yusuke swears revenge. And then Kurama has to tell him that it's not possible. That someone else saved the day. Things are quieter after that, but not any calmer.


	10. Chapter 10

10

There are police at the train stations and they check his duffle bag before he gets on the commuter train back to Tokyo. Yukina stays between him and Kuwabara as they move through the crowds. There's tension hanging in the air and sadness coming from the humans around them. The government has called it a coordinated terrorist attack and security has tightened everywhere but even Kuwabara can see the subtle differences between how they're handling this and how they've handled attacks by humans in the past. The security is there to reassure the citizens. It isn't about to catch any demons.

Two students from Keio died in the attack and the school has day of mourning for them in addition to the day for all of the victims. Waseda does the same and Kurama meets Kaito for afternoon drinks instead of going to a temple service.

It's a different restaurant than the noodle shop, but the interior is still dark, in spite of the fact that the bar is by the windows. Kaito's perched on a stool, hunched over the beer between his hands. His glasses have slid down his nose and are hanging precariously. He sits up slightly when he notices Kurama standing behind the stool next to him and pushes his glasses back up with his usual gesture, but his whole aura is drippy.

"I thought everything was going to be ok," he says as Kurama slides onto the stool and sighs. "I thought it was all over and we wouldn't have to worry again. I know that was stupid—" he says before Kurama can say anything. "But I thought your king—"

The bartender hands Kurama a beer and he nods his thanks before interrupting Kaito.

"The demons responsible weren't from demon world," he says. "They'd been in the human world since before Enki took over and they didn't care what he said. I could almost say the same about the demons that stopped him."

He thinks about the information he's picked up on the tengu prince and shakes his head slightly.

"I hate to say this Kaito, but those in the demon world have never and probably will never completely control the demons in the human world. Spirit World had the same problem."

Kaito makes a disconcerting noise and Kurama spends the next hour saying things that are more comforting. Then he makes Kaito call his girlfriend and walks him to the metro station to ensure that Kaito will actually go see her and not just stumble back to his apartment to angst alone.

Human friend taken care of, Kurama decides it's time to stop pretending he can submerge himself in the human world and ignore the supernatural as long as it isn't following him home. He needs contacts, informants, spies. Tokyo is large enough that he's sure he can find exactly what he needs. He's also sure he could find plenty of people looking to make his life harder.

He stalks down the streets in Akihabara and senses the demons getting out of his way. Word must have spread that he's not a fan of challengers. Even better, he thinks as he represses his aura and goes hunting.

* * *

Yusuke keeps calling and now Kurama is the one who has to do the reassuring. To promise the former king that there was nothing he could have done. No way he could have known beforehand and made his way to Tokyo to stop it. He points out that it took the demons already in Tokyo over an hour to get coordinated. He promises Yusuke that there aren't any demons stupid enough to travel to his little city outside the capitol just to start trouble, not when there's all of Tokyo waiting for havoc and Yusuke famous enough to scare even idiots. Some of Kurama's words even manage to reassure himself, if only briefly.

Yusuke swears to look after Shiori and the Hatanakas, without Kurama's prompting for once. Kurama really isn't sure how he feels about that, but decides reassured is better than worried. If only he could program his emotions like he used to, when he was young and driven and had a purpose. Now he's just old and listless, drifting along and getting sucked into things he shouldn't.

In some ways Kuwabara's reaction is worse. He clams up. Won't talk about it. And he gets that determined, driven look in his eye that so often led to victory. Except there's no enemy for him to fight, no battle and nothing Kurama can see to focus on. He worries. As does Yukina.

Hiei thinks they're all idiots, per usual, and pauses long enough to express it during one of his stop-overs in the human world.

"Get over yourself," he spits from the window sill where he's crouching like a grumpy raven.

"What?" Kurama had been about to offer him tea but is starting to reconsider.

"You've been infected with Yusuke's mindset. The idiot thinks he's invincible, that nothing can touch him and his reputation will protect him even from nuisances. Now you're being just as stupid."

"I hardly think that's a fair assessment," Kurama counters.

"Then why are you so surprised people are disobeying Enki and damaging your precious human world?"

"I'm not—"

"Feh, you're even getting to be a bad liar."

Kurama presses his mouth closed and stares at Hiei. He refuses to let his old friend provoke him, not now, not over this.

"I'm not surprised," Kurama says after a moment of silence. "I'm embarrassed that I was underprepared. I've been embarrassingly careless, but I wouldn't call it conceit."

Hiei makes one of those condescending noises that doesn't mean anything and Kurama begins to wonder if the smaller demon is actually worried. Worried that he and Yusuke are being careless. Worried that they're all vulnerable here and have to take this warning seriously. Or he might just be projecting things when Hiei is only annoyed by their emotional weakness.

"Make sure that buffoon isn't as careless with Yukina," he snaps and then it's perfectly clear to Kurama. Hiei thinks they've all been dropping their guard.

"He'll take care of her," Kurama says for what feels like the millionth time.

"Feh," Hiei says, then he disappears into the night.


	11. Chapter 11

11

AN: There was a Yu Yu Hakusho abridged update and once again this is getting updated. I apologize to anyone who was waiting for an update

* * *

He texts Chouko because he doesn't want to call her or have to talk to her. Kurama is starting to reconsider his request. It isn't just because he doesn't like asking for or receiving help, either. He wonders exactly what type of job she has because she responds almost immediately. They agree to meet at one of the large department stores in Shinjuku and he's curious about that. He didn't think she'd invite him to go wandering through her ward, but maybe she knows it better than the others and feels safer there. Maybe it's an ambush.

The next day is surprisingly warm and he rolls up his shirt sleeves as he walks to the metro. It's even hotter in the subway system than it is aboveground and humans press in on every side, their breath adding unpleasant moisture to the air. Arriving at his stop is a welcome escape. At least the buildings are refreshingly air conditioned. Kurama thanks Inari for the invention as he strolls through the store's main entrance and towards the map, while making sure his aura is visible, just not too visible. For a second he thinks he's beaten her, he is quite early, but he senses her youki as he pauses to make sure the bakeries are in the basement. Her aura still feels oddly constrained and he wonders why she leaves it like that; if it's meant as a warning?

She takes her time approaching and he doesn't bother looking for her until he knows she's only a few feet away. She smells like tangerines, he realizes suddenly, sweet but with a slight bite. It must be living for so long in the human world, eating human food and spending her time surrounded by them, that allows her to smell so human and mask her demonic smell so thoroughly. Most demons would call that a sign of weakness but he can't see her agreeing.

Tangerines, Kurama thinks again as he turns. She stops walking when he spots her. The dress she's wearing looks like it's come from the 1950s, which, given her age, is quite possible. The voluminous skirt falls below her knees and he can't tell if the designs on the orange fabric are little flowers or polka dots. There isn't any lace today but the whole effect makes her look—not smaller, but less substantial. Breezy. Totally human. And then there's that straining youki. He can't tell what she's playing at and he almost frowns at her.

"Hello, Chouko-san," he says and forces a polite smile instead.

She smiles back, though the expression is tenuous. It doesn't reach her eyes.

"Come on," she says with a tilt of her head. "The escalators are this way."

She spins on her toe, the skirt flies out around her, and he's left looking at her as she strides away. Then he notices her light orange pumps and matching purse. This time Kurama's smile is genuine and he hurries to catch up. He thinks he has an idea of what is going on inside the demoness' head at last and he has to work to keep from chuckling. A woman doesn't dress that carefully to meet a man she has no interest in, though what type of interest she has he isn't sure. He doesn't think she knows either. She keeps up her pace through the crowd and even when he does catch up with her, she doesn't look at him.

The atmosphere is slightly less chilly once they reach the basement. There's food everywhere and the smells fill the air pleasantly. It's only a matter of time before it becomes too much; so many different scents can't be anything but overwhelming even to the well-trained. He just hopes they'll be done by then. The floor is filled with different food counters and small restaurants. Chouko must know this area well because she steers straight for the desserts.

"You said he had a sweet tooth," Kurama says as he comes to a stop beside her. "Do you know what kinds of sweets he likes?"

"Jiro's a simple man," Chouko says, amusement coloring her voice. "He loves almost every type of candy and cake, just not chocolate."

"Why not chocolate?" Kurama has to ask even though she's already pointing things out to him.

She flashes him a slight smile before she starts ordering. He has to wait until she's done before she answers.

"Because the first time he had it, I made it, and apparently that was traumatizing."

Kurama can't help chuckling. "I can't imagine chocolate being in any way traumatizing," he says.

"I put a few too many chilli peppers in," she says and even though she doesn't look at him he sees the smile spread across her face. It makes her look young and human and perfectly at home in a frilly orange dress.

Again Kurama's struck by curiosity, wondering how she does it, how she manages to live as a human so fully. What keeps her going? He wonders what keeps her in the human world, but he asks:

"Chilli peppers?"

"That's how it was originally made and how it tastes best," she says and then elbows him to pay for the candies.

They go to three more counters and pick up cookies and red bean filled rolls along with other things Kurama isn't even paying attention to. He's trying to remember what he knows about the history of chocolate and wondering who would ever put chilli peppers in it.

"So, you're old friends with the tengu prince?" Kurama asks as he's paying for the last of the desserts.

Chouko lifts a small bag of chocolate covered pretzels from the pile of parcels and Kurama frowns. He can't believe she managed to slip that by him, he thought he had been paying more attention, but there she goes opening it and eating one in front of him.

"Jiro invited me to live in Tokyo when I moved to Japan," she says slowly while sucking on the pretzel. He hates how his eyes are drawn to her mouth and blames it on his human side. Before he took a human body he would have never been distracted like this. "I still don't know how he managed to convince the others it was a good idea to invite some foreign imperialist into their city, but it might have been for my foreign contacts."

Kurama takes his change and they walk off towards the exit that will put them out in daylight once more. It also means temperatures verging on unpleasant.

"Anyway, Jiro's a decent friend if you can handle the fact that his favorite conversation topic is himself."

"You can change your human form," Kurama says slowly, and half to himself, though he's watching her for a reaction.

She doesn't reply but her eyes slide sideways to watch him back.

"I have been wondering about your appearance," he says and her eyes narrow.

"What about my appearance?" Her voice is low and carries a warning he chooses to ignore.

"Is it intentional?"

"Is _what_ intentional?" Her voice drops, not to a growl or anything like it, but to a lower range that gives it weight. Force. A hint of something old and dangerous.

"Looking half-Japanese and half-European," he says simply and waits for an explosion.

Instead, there's a slow release of breath, not quite hissing through her flat teeth. For a moment they walk in silence, buffeted by the crowd.

"No," she says at last. "I made a mistake." She touches a hand to her eyes self-consciously before forcing it back down. She doesn't look at him, which he finds the most interesting part.

He knows plenty of demons that can change how they look, through illusions or shape-shifting. And any demon that takes a human form to hide their demonic nature goes through a similar type of shifting. The practice it takes to be able to change the human form in any material way is usually more effort than a demon in willing to expend.

"Now what?" he asks and she doesn't bother hiding her confusion as she glances at him.

He lifts his arms slightly, hoisting the bags into view.

"Do I just go to Roppongi and leave these at his door?"

"That would be silly. Hold on."

They stop on the sidewalk while she digs through her purse for her cellphone. It isn't there, it's in one of her dress' pockets and she makes apologetic noises as she fishes it out from the folds and folds of fabric. She dials a number then jams the phone against her ear and goes back to walking. The streets are relatively low on pedestrians, due to the recent attack as much as the fact it's a weekday before the lunch rush.

"It's me," she says into the phone. "I need you to run an errand today."

She rattles off a set of vague directions that must mean something to the person on the other end though to Kurama it's just words. He finds he doesn't mind listening to her talk even as he's reminding himself that it's dangerous to drop his guard. For all he knows she could be arranging an ambush while he listens, but he doubts that. He follows her lead towards the nearest subway station, though they stop a block away and she makes him rearrange his purchases so they're all in one nice bag.

The demon that sidles towards them a few minutes later has his eyes on Kurama and seems to be evaluating him with some care. Kurama makes a point of looking over the other demon in return, and wonders why someone obviously less powerful would approach them so boldly. Then the demon bows to Chouko and she nods in response.

"Tashi, this is Kurama, Minamino-san in public," Chouko says with a wave between them that is a distinctly Western gesture, something he realizes now that he's looking for it. "Kurama this is Tashi. He runs errands for me."

She gestures for Kurama to hand over the food and he does so with a tinge of reluctance. He can't help wondering if there's a trick he's missing. He knows there's a deeper game going on, but he's not sure he wants to be that involved in the political maneuvering that's happening right now.

Chouko reaches into her purse and pulls out an envelope. Kurama glimpses a seal on the fine paper before it disappears into the bag Tashi now holds.

"I'm _fine_," she says to the demon, nodding as his eyes slide from her to Kurama. "Take that down to Jiro-san, then go check on the shop for me. Aya was frazzled this morning."

Tashi bows to her and, eyes on Kurama, backs away a few steps before turning and heading back towards the train. Chouko watches him go and sighs.

"What was the card?" Kurama asks once the other demon is out of sight.

"An explanation and introduction for you." She glances back at him before directing her gaze up to the surrounding buildings. "You're going to have to get yourself a runner, someone you trust with messages and sometimes gifts. We don't normally talk to each other directly, especially if we don't get along, so they're indispensable."

"Why—" Kurama pauses, not sure how to phrase it in a way that won't sound offensive.

"He doesn't trust you," she says, predicting just what he was going to ask. "He doesn't like that we've run into each other so many times. Tashi does not believe in Hitsuzen. He thinks you're doing it on purpose, following me." She flashes him a smile that takes the bite out of the words. "And now he thinks you're trying to lure me somewhere, to what end only he knows." She shrugs.

Kurama can't help chuckling. "Does he see himself as your boyfriend?"

"Oh no!" she laughs and rolls her eyes. "He'd never get an idea like that in his head."

Kurama wonders if Chouko knows the other demon as well as she thinks but he doesn't say anything. He knows better than to start a discussion like that.

"Are you hungry?" he asks, spotting a small restaurant up the street.

"No." The word comes out quick, accompanied by a shake of her head which sends her hair flying.

"Thirsty?"

She pauses. He can't tell if it's because she's surprised he would follow up with a second attempt or because she's considering it. Either way, it gives him an opening. He takes her arm. It's the first time they touch and he expects her to cringe or pull away, not let him steer her down the street. There's a cafe only a block away and he's thankful it's not further; he's not sure how long her acquiescence will last. She doesn't say anything as he lets go of her and opens the door, but she does walk in.

Inside bright and cheerful colors run amok on the walls and the waitresses bubble over with smiles. At least it smells nice, a blanket of coffee picked out in hints of hazelnut and vanilla with some sweetness underlaying it all. They're seated at a small table near the windows and Chouko watches the people passing on the street while Kurama looks over the little pink menu. He wonders why it's pink. A glance around shows that most of the other people seem to be couples and he does frown at that. He was hoping for something more neutral, but he'll make do with what he has.


	12. Chapter 12

12

This chapter makes me nervous, but it's pointless to sit on it. Let me know what you think.

* * *

The waitress takes their orders and menus and bows her way away. She's all smiles and peppiness, which Kurama can appreciate at the moment. He feels like taking chances, and while reason tells him that's idiotic, he feels that at least this won't put his life at risk, probably.

"I didn't mention this earlier, but you look very nice today," he says and feels vindicated as pink tinges the demoness' cheeks.

Her gaze drops immediately and slides to the side, avoiding his.

"Thank you," she mutters and then snaps her napkin open before placing it carefully across her lap. Then her eyes slide up to his and there's something mischievous in them. "And might I say congratulations on dressing gender-appropriate today?"

An hour before he would have been offended, probably seriously, but now he only wants to laugh. He knows exactly what she's doing and he can't help thinking she's too old to try to test him like this. He leans forward and puts a hand over one of hers before she can move away.

"Ah, so you think I look like a girl?" He smiles wryly and pauses, wondering whether or not he can push a little more. He decides he can and pulls her hand to the middle of the table. "Has that made my chances better or worse?"

Her mouth opens and the blush is back, even worse this time. She jerks her hand away and bumps back her chair as she stands.

"Sit down," he says as she snatches up her purse.

"No, no. I have to go. I forgot something—"

She nearly bumps into the waitress who is trying to bring them their drinks.

"Is everything OK?" the uniformed girl asks and Kurama switches on his smile.

"Oh yes, I was just teasing her. Please sit down, Chouko-san, it's only 11:30 not 12:30."

Chouko forces a nervous laugh and sits down again. "You made me think I was running late," she says loudly enough to get people to stop paying attention to them.

He's tempted to go for her hand again but stops himself. It's not the right time and she might actually leave if he does it again.

"Don't you think you're a little old to be trying so hard to pretend you're not—"

"Don't you think you're being presumptuous?"

"No," he says and settles back against his chair, lacing his fingers together.

"Cocky bastard," Chouko says in English and Kurama is sure he isn't imagining the note of approval he hears in her voice.

"But I'm right."

Her answer is an arched eyebrow and a frown.

"Will you let me take you out for dinner sometime?" he asks.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because you're dangerous," she says quite seriously.

"So are you."

She frowns at that and he sits forward, leaning over the table towards her.

"What about your Hitsuzen?" he asks softly, eyes fixed on her. She shifts uncomfortably but doesn't look away.

"What about it?"

"We keep running into each other."

"_Now_ it's on purpose," she says and sounds like a truculent child. "You calling me isn't Hitsuzen."

"Would you like to go out for dinner, honestly?"

She looks away and frowns at the pedestrians outside the cafe. Kurama waits, knowing that she'll respond eventually.

"Yes," she says, still frowning, "but I know that's stupid of me and I really shouldn't—"

"So, let's both be stupid."

She turns back to him so quickly he's nearly startled but he doesn't let it show as he smiles at her. There's a frown on her face and it matches the one he caught sight of in the book store.

"It's stupid on my part too, wouldn't you agree?" he asks to try to get the smile back.

"Yes," she says, eyebrows raised. "It is stupid of you, too. But then, I hear you like taking stupid risks, Kurama-san."

He gives her a rueful smile but doesn't let her bait him.

"So, dinner?" he says.

She flushes and looks away. He gives her a minute to think, but not long enough to talk herself out of it.

"Thursday?"

"That would be lovely." She doesn't sound like she means it but her countenance clears slightly as she turns back to him. "You're surprisingly patient with an old crone like me, Shuuichi-san."

He laughs with real amusement. "We're probably nearly the same age, Chouko-san. And I think you have to look like a crone to be considered one, no matter how old you are."

"Still."

She smiles and puts one hand back on the table, just barely brushing his.

It will be slow going with two old demons like them, but he's always been patient. That's half the fun.

* * *

"You got a date, with the demon from the bookstore?"

Kuwabara's surprise means he's nearly shouting, which would be all right if they were in private. Walking down the street isn't quite the right place for that reaction. People stare and Kurama tries to laugh it off while secretly wondering why he tells Kuwabara anything.

"The girl you scared so badly she ran away from you?"

Kurama steps on Kuwabara's foot, hoping to shut him up. It doesn't work, but at least with the taller man hoping around people aren't looking at Kurama.

"Quieter, please," he says once the display is done.

"Sorry. So, that demon?"

"Yes," Kurama sighs and rubs at his eyes. "Her. But really, Kuwabara-kun, I wanted to talk to you about—"

"How'd you manage that?"

Kurama takes a deep breath and reminds himself that Kuwabara's like a bloodhound sometimes. Once he gets set on a certain trail he'll follow it to the end, no matter how much one might want him to stop. Sometimes it's just easier to answer the questions and get it over with as quickly as possible.

"I asked her."

"How'd you do that?"

"With words."

"No, I mean how'd you ask her? Did you call her? Or did you follow her to the park again?"

"First of all, I didn't follow her to the park, and I wish you wouldn't keep telling everyone that I did! I had asked her to help me buy a suitable present for the tengu who stopped the Tokyo Tower attack; she said all the high level demons should send presents. After we bought them I asked her."

"And she said _yes_?"

"There's no need to sound so surprised," Kurama says mildly, keeping his irritation hidden.

"Well, I didn't mean it like that," Kuwabara says quickly. "I just thought, you know, she'd be too scared or intimidated to go out with you."

"I managed to convince her."

"You didn't—uh—threaten her, did you?"

Kurama glares at his friend, who holds up his hands in apology.

"Come on, it could be possible! Demons interact in weird ways."

That is a point Kurama has to concede, though he makes a show of telling Kuwabara he would never threaten someone into going on a date with him. By the time he's done they're nearly at Kuwabara's apartment and Kurama is loosing his chance.

"How are you?" he asks bluntly as they walk up the street.

Kuwabara shuts down immediately. This is why Kurama wanted to have the whole walk to talk to him. He knows Kuwabara will only hurry home and try to hide behind meaningless chat with Yukina.

"Fine," Kuwabara says when he catches Kurama's stare. "I'm fine, don't look at me like that."

"That's not true."

Kuwabara groans and throws his hands in the air. "How do you expect me to be doing? All those people died and I was off drinking on a mountain!"

"You couldn't have done anything more if you had been here," Kurama says. It's the same line over and over again and he hopes eventually it'll sink in.

"Is that what you tell yourself?" Kuwabara snaps and Kurama's taken aback.

"Yes," Kurama says. "Even if we had been here we would not have been prepared to handle the attack. Which is why I wanted to talk to you about being better prepared for the future."

Kuwabara gives him a look and Kurama can't quite make it out.

"If you're just trying to make me feel better—"

"No, no," Kurama says with a wave of his hands. "I'm serious. I think we should have a plan in place for a number of possible scenarios." He doesn't mention Hiei's concern for Yukina; he doesn't have to—she's always the first thing on Kuwabara's mind.

"Allright!" Kuwabara smacks his fist into an open palm. It seems he finally has an acceptable goal. Kurama only hopes that it will help in the long run.


	13. Chapter 13

13

Thank you everyone who has reviewed since I posted the last chapter! It was ages ago and I appreciate that you've been reading this story. Even though I don't update frequently I am very attached to it and it makes me happy to know other people are enjoying reading it. So thanks again!

* * *

When Kurama tells Kaito he can't go to karaoke because he has a date, the human doesn't even pretend to believe him.

"You know, if you're going to live as a human, you have to socialize with humans. Otherwise people will wonder about you," Kaito says far too sagely and Kurama can just picture him sliding his glasses up his nose.

"Maybe another night, Kaito. I'm sorry I have plans."

"No you're not," Kaito laughs, "or rather you wouldn't be if your date was real."

Kurama only sighs into the phone.

"I called because Kuwabara and I are going to start working on a disaster plan for Tokyo. I wanted to know if you would be interested in being involved."

There's silence for a moment on the other end before Kaito says: "Is this meant to cheer us up? Do you think coming up with plans will help us forget what happened?"

"Yes to the first, no to the second," Kurama replies slowly. It seems Kaito is as on-edge as Kuwabara. "Forgetting would be a mistake. I hope it will actually make us ready should something else happen in the city. You both have useful powers and you should have a plan of what to do with them, at least to ensure the safety of those close to you."

He lets that sink in. He has an hour before he has to go anywhere and he already knows Kaito is just slightly less stable than his orange-haired friend. There's the sound of a slow drawing of breath from the other end of the phone and then another pause.

"I'm in," is all Kaito says, but it's all he needs to say. Kurama suddenly has far less to worry about, not that he doesn't have anything on his mind. He says goodbye and hangs up before turning to his closet. He has to choose a shirt and he knows she'll make fun of him if he chooses poorly.

It's a small restaurant on the border of their wards and as he walks in Kurama gets the sense it's one of those places where you have to already know the owners before you can get a table. Chouko chose it and Kurama has the sinking feeling she intends to pay for it as well. She's in green today: a dark green skirt, white blouse, and green cardigan. There's even a large green clip holding back her hair. Everything is carefully casual, meant to send the message that she's not taking this too seriously but doing the exact opposite. They settle in at a table and Kurama has the dawning realization that now he has to find something to talk to her about.

"So what did you decide to major in?" Chouko asks as she opens her menu. Her movements are graceful, as is the tilt of her head, the shape of her hands... Kurama only realizes he's staring when she looks up at him.

He smiles, keeps up the veneer, and says, "Information and computer science."

She smiles and tilts her head the other way, birdlike. "Oh really?"

"Would you believe it, a stranger on a train helped me think about my options in a new way."

She chuckles and disappears behind her menu. When they order he notices she doesn't choose anything with meat. He wonders if it has to do with what type of demon she is, or maybe it's more to do with the type of human she's playing.

She waves the waitress down and the girl bends over quickly. Chouko whispers into the woman's ear and there's a distinctly evil smile on her face. Kurama crosses his arms and watches. The waitress gets their drinks and takes their menus and all the while there's barely suppressed amusement on Chouko's face. Kurama finds out why when the food arrives. The waitress sets down a plate of inarizushi and Chouko grins from ear to ear.

"Thank you," Kurama says to the waitress and waits until she's out of earshot before turning to Chouko. "How original. Nobody's ever thought to order me fox food before."

Even that doesn't put a damper on her grin.

His suspicion roused, he narrows his eyes at her. "What else did you order, Chouko?"

When the waitress returns with a bowl he sees why Chouko's eyes have a malicious glint. It's Kitsune soba. Kurama is not amused but Chouko is dissolving into giggles.

"Will we be having red bean desserts?" he asks as the waitress hurries off to attend someone else.

If possible that only makes her laugh harder.

And he can't stay annoyed, not the way he does with Kuwabara and Yukina, or Kaito, because none of them have eyes the color of melted chocolate. And none of them are old, dangerous, and so easily amused by something so trivial.

"Don't worry," she says, getting her laughter under control. "She's bringing your order."

Then she reaches across the table and pulls both dishes over. He frowns as she slices one of the inarizushi in half with a flick of her chopsticks and then tosses it in the air. She catches it in her mouth and chews slowly, her jaw moving a bit more than is strictly necessary.

Kurama's tempura arrives unharmed and free of tofu. That's another point in her favor. While she orders him fox food like the others, she doesn't actually make him eat it.

She steals some of his soy beans and he laughs as he tries to ward her off with his chopsticks.

Occasionally it occurs to him that this behavior is so different from the coffee shop that he should be worried about her motives. He manages to push those thoughts to the back of his mind so that he can actually enjoy dinner.

"Where do you work?" he asks after they are well into their sake.

Chouko's cheeks positively flush and she looks away as she giggles. "Oh no, this is going to be embarrassing for us both," she says.

"I don't see how it could be," he replies.

She laughs again and he thinks it's a sound he could get used to. "I own a flower shop."

There's a shocked pause and then he's laughing too, head titled back and arms shaking as the absurdity of it washes over him.

"I was thinking of getting a part time job, maybe you can hire me."

"And have the plants attacking the customers? I think not!"

They joke, they talk about movies, TV shows, video games, the metro. The waitress keeps the drinks coming until the restaurant starts to empty out. Kurama finally checks his watch and Chouko laughs when he tells her the time.

"I suppose we ought to let the staff go home," she says.

The waitress places the check carefully in the middle of the table and Chouko has it before Kurama can begin to move.

"Chouko-san," he says, reaching across the table, but she leans further back, holding the check out of reach. "At least let's split it."

"Not-uh," she says shaking a finger at him. "Remember who has the flowers here." The laughter wells up in her face. "Or rather, the legitimate shop with flowers and not—" But she's laughing too hard to finish and it makes him smile.

He's starting to suspect there's something seriously wrong with himself. The old him would have never laughed through dinner, or gotten drunk on sake with a strange demon, or been completely unperturbed by the previous two decisions. As much as he tries, he can't be angry with himself, and he can only force so much concern. Frankly, he's having too much fun and he doesn't care if she attacks him as soon as they leave the restaurant. At least life is interesting again.

Chouko leaves a healthy wad of bills on the table and they step out into the cool night. They walk in silence for a bit, towards the park. It's not uncomfortable, but something's been on his mind and he has to bring it up.

"I have to ask, why were things so different this evening? What made you comfortable with me?"

"I decided to just give it a shot and pretend like we were normal people," she says.

Normal people. The phrase echoes around in Kurama's mind. Is that how she does it? Just happily throwing herself into the role of 'normal person?'

"Is that what you do?" he can't help asking. "You pretend with yourself?"

She smiles wide and shakes her head ever so slightly. "I _am_ normal, most of the time. I just happen to be immortal. So, I just have to make sure I don't hit on any of my descendants."

He blinks, more than once, and she tilts her head to the side.

"Descendants," she says again, thinking he didn't understand what she meant. "The ones from my human husbands."

It isn't something Kurama wants to think about. It isn't something Kurama wanted to know about. Somewhere deep inside him something old and feral snarls.

"The trick to living so long as a human," she says carelessly, "is wanting to live."

"What?"

That's her secret? he wonders, pushing away the feeling he can only assume is jealousy directed against some long-dead men to make room for confusion.

"It's certainly not something a lot of demons get," she shrugs fluidly again, like a European or an American, he thinks now that he looks for it. "Nor all humans. But I enjoy living. I get up every day pleased about being in the world—this world."

He can't help himself. "Really? This world?"

"Of course!" She shakes her head at his expression. "It's always changing, far more than the demon world, and a demon in the human world is free."

The phrase '_then Yomi got displeased_' echoes around in his head and he thinks he understands, at least partially. He also thinks part of her being pleased with the world might have to do with human men.


	14. Chapter 14

14

The next day Kurama's in such a good mood he agrees to go to dinner with Kaito and his girlfriend sometime during the next week. Kaito is so thrilled he gets to prove to at least one person that Kurama exists he doesn't even try to keep Kurama on the phone for more than half an hour. Finally the fox convinces Kaito that he does in fact have to go to Kuwabara and Yukina's for the evening and he manages to hang up the phone.

In Shinjuku Kurama doesn't sense Chouko's youki and wonders where she is and what she's doing as he walks to Kuwabara's apartment. He wonders if he should call her and then pushes the thought away. He'll give it another day at least, they're not humans after all, there isn't a rush. And he doesn't want admit that he wants to see her again so soon. If she's interested in continuing this dangerous game, she can let him know he tells himself.

Kuwabara lets him in and is in a far better mood than the last time they saw each other. Something smells slightly different and Kurama is wondering vaguely if they changed soaps while Kuwabara hands him a drink and turns down the TV. Yukina appears moments later, bearing snacks, and is followed by a second set of footsteps.

"_Soo_, who is the mystery girl?"

Kurama is startled to see Shizuru—he hadn't known she was visiting—and even more startled by the question. But he knows exactly to whom she's referring. Shizuru's smiling and not in a bad way, but he's nervous all the same. Emotions are funny things and even though she has a boyfriend now, it's still possible she could be jealous. They had had something brief and desperate after Sensui's defeat, but when he answered Yomi's summons it all started falling apart. Everything had been amicable enough, but Kurama plans for possibilities.

"You wouldn't know her," he says politely and hopes it doesn't get taken the wrong way.

There's some eyebrow raising, but not much else, probably because they expect this kind of reticence from him.

"Human, demon, spirit-thing?" Shizuru says as she fiddles with her fake cigarette.

He and Yukina had finally persuaded her onto them. They were supposed to help her quit, but Shizuru is too used to having something to gesture with to give it up completely.

"Demon," he admits under the intense scrutiny of three pairs of eyes.

"Do you know what class she is yet?" Kuwabara asks, apparently feeling now that Shizuru brought the subject up it's okay for everyone to jump in.

"I'm not sure," Kurama says. "I've never seen her fully powered up. I assume Lower A since she was here before the barrier came down." He tells them them what he thinks Chouko wants people to assume and keeps his suspicions to himself.

"What does she do?" Yukina asks and Kurama feels slightly hemmed in as they all watch him.

"She's a florist."

Kuwabara can't quite hide his chuckle and Shizuru doesn't even try.

"Really, Kurama?" she asks as she laughs.

"Really," he replies. "She owns a flower shop and I have only just found out about it."

"Does she always smell like flowers?" Kuwabara chuckles.

"She smells like tangerines," Kurama snaps and immediately wishes he hadn't. They're all staring at him in an uncomfortable way.

"That's a bit—unusual—for a demon," Kuwabara says and he clearly thinks she's done something to Kurama's head. He's not completely wrong.

Yukina presses the back of her hand to Kurama's forehead and suddenly he just needs to be out of the apartment and away from everyone. They recognize his expression and it seems to him that they close in on him slightly, blocking the exits.

"Well," he takes a breath and settles everything: his breathing, his heart rate, his posture, even the air around him stills. He's been practicing ever since he found out about Yomi. The others relax as well. "She is an unusual demon."

"Are you going to see her again?" Kuwabara asks.

"It seems likely with such a small and tense demon community."

Yukina rolls her eyes and Kuwabara bangs his hand on the table.

"You know that's not what I meant!"

"Oh, I apologize for misunderstanding. Have you been practicing your aura manipulation like I suggested?"

Kuwabara gives up this time, perhaps sensing the stubbornness that's set in in Kurama.

"Some, but I'm pretty busy."

"Not too busy to watch the game," Kurama nods at the TV, currently showing the fourth inning of a baseball game and Kuwabara looks appropriately sheepish.

They all eat dinner together and Kurama suggests that Yukina's cooking is better every time he tries it. She murmurs politely and looks pleased. Shizuru has her observing expression on and he doesn't like the feeling that she's checking up on him. If any of them should be the one doing the checking up on others it's him, but Shizuru has always been too level-headed to accept that argument.

"Tell him about your new customer!" Kuwabara has just never learned to keep his voice down when he's excited.

Yukina smiles and gets an encouraging elbow from Shizuru.

"I've recently started seeing a new patient. She suffers from migraines and I have been curing them for her. She tells me that they are growing less frequent and intense now."

"That's good news. We've always known you're a remarkable healer." Kurama has to wonder why Kuwabara is so excited for a few moments longer while Yukina tries to decide on the best way to continue.

"She is so pleased that she wants to help me gain recognition for my reiki healing."

Alarms are sounding in Kurama's mind but he keeps his tone neutral and his expression mild.

"That is quite thoughtful of her. Are you sure you're ready for an influx of new patients?"

"She's going to be on TV!" Kuwabara just can't hold it in any longer. "_TV!_"

Kurama allows a little frown to appear. "Ah."

Yukina catches his expression but Kuwabara is too caught up. He raises his bottle for a toast but Yukina puts a hand on his arm.

"What is it Kurama?"

"I may be overly cautious but I would want to make sure the television show you will be appearing on will accurately portray you."

"What'd'ya mean?"

"What he means, dumbass," Shizuru cuts in, "is to make sure you're not on trash TV and they're not showing you off as some sort of crackpot. Don't worry I already told them that."

"Yeah, it's a real talk show."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it and quite relieved" Kurama says without actually feeling it. But Yukina is smiling and he can't help feeling old and over-cautions. Not everything is a trap.

* * *

Kaito and Kuwabara both live in Shinjuku, so Kurama goes to them for their first meeting. Yukina runs her reiki practice from home so they're meeting at Kaito's apartment and he gets to show off. Kurama catches the train after class and can't help looking around just in case he spots a demon in a lacy skirt, but there's no Chouko to be found.

She had sent him a text the day before that said: "Dinner was fun. Tanuki say you're welcome in Shinjuku." He took that to mean she felt he was welcome in Shinjuku, not just a tolerated interloper. If only all tense relations between demons could be settled by a nice dinner and a few bottles of sake then—why then the demon world would be a lot more boring. No, he certainly wouldn't wish that kind of amiability on demon-kind. He thinks about that for the rest of the ride and the latest news he's had of demon world politics. Enki's second term as king hasn't been exactly smooth, but shockingly Mukuro has been one of his biggest supporters. Kurama suspects it's because she enjoys being contrary.

It's been a while since Kuwabara has been to Kaito's place so both he and Kurama get the full tour. A few tiny rooms filled with books and literary journals, but still fairly neat. There's even a few plants in the living room and they make Kurama smile slightly as he thinks about his word game with Kaito years ago. Kaito's girlfriend is at the library, studying.

"Have you told her of your ability yet?" Kurama asks as he runs a hand over a fern's fronds.

Kaito adjusts his glasses and shrugs.

"You haven't told her!" Kuwabara seems almost too much for the small space: too loud, too energetic, and too indignant at the moment.

"I've been working around to it." Kaito takes a seat and opens a beer. "I've given her some pretty clear hints, so she knows I think I have some psychic ability, but she clearly doesn't believe me yet. I am not about to spring all of my powers and this whole other world on her."

"But you are going to tell her, right?"

"Yes, yes," Kaito waves his hand. "I plan on it. Maybe you can come over and help me explain everything when it's time, Kuwabara-kun."

"Oh no," Kuwabara waves his hands and takes a step back. "I've been through that way too many times already."

Kurama clears his throat and the others drop it immediately. It pleases him to still have that kind of power in a conversation, but it's not the same anymore. It isn't necessary, he doesn't have to be in charge and most of the time he doesn't even want to be. But now is the time to take command.

"Kaito, I'd like to work on expanding the range of your territory. Kuwabara, we can better hone your sixth sense to help us predict when something is going to happen. We should also come up with a way to signal each other from anywhere in the city that doesn't depend on our cell phones."

They toss ideas around for an hour and then Kurama lays out basic plans. The humans clearly both feel better at the end, Kurama however, is starting to realize just how unprepared they all are.


	15. Chapter 15

15

_Thank you nevvy, ChuyaDud, bananamush, and Gimei for the reviews! And thanks to everyone who's reading for sticking with me despite the general lack of explosions and destruction so far. I promise there will be some in the future._

One of Kurama's informants wants to meet, but not in Akihabara where there are too many ears around. So Kurama takes the metro east, switching lines twice to get to Ueno and the Tokyo National Museum. The last time he was in the museum it had been with Kuwabara and Yukina. The former had fallen asleep in the calligraphy gallery and latter had wandered off, only for Kurama to find her an hour later examining the katanas with a bit more interest than he was comfortable with.

According to Chouko, there's a crazy cat demon in this ward somewhere, but Kurama doesn't sense her and isn't that concerned. He walks through a gallery of paintings and suppresses his youki so anyone tracking him will have a harder time of it. Kurama turns a corner and finds his informant already waiting. He's a snake demon, and he's sweating. Kurama at least feels vindicated about the trip if his lead is this upset by whatever it is he has to share.

The fox strolls up to the snake and they both look at the same painting. The reptile clears his throat and Kurama tilts his head to listen.

"There's rumors going around, they're coming down from people in the know, not normal street trash. Someone new is working through the B and C class demons who are unattached, gathering them up."

He pauses and glances around. A few more people have walked into the gallery and its making him twitch.

"I like the paintings in the next room more," Kurama says and touches him on the shoulder.

The snake nods quickly and they stroll sedately into the next hall.

"The rumor is that this new person wants to hit at the A class demons in the human world. I'm not sure for what, to turn them against each other, or use them as bait for others, or just to lessen the competition at the top. Nobody knows."

"Do we know who's being targeted?"

"No. Nothing that specific."

"And this isn't coming from demon world?"

"As far as I can tell, no. They would have a lot harder time if the street gangs or loners thought the orders were coming from the other side. We're here for a reason."

"_A demon in the human world is free_," Kurama can't help muttering and the snake nods in agreement. "Are the orders coming from within Tokyo?"

"Don't know." The snake pauses, his mouth open like he's still trying to smell danger with his tongue. Maybe he can. "There aren't enough details out right now so I suspect it's coming in long-distance. Maybe even out of the country."

They walk further along the gallery, making sure to put as much distance between them and the other people in the room. The snake looks like he has more to say so Kurama waits. They pass into the next gallery and the fox ignores the furtive glances he's receiving.

"You wouldn't have been around the last time this happened," the snake says suddenly. "It was at least twenty years ago now. Someone tried to take out all the upper B and lower A demons from here to Singapore. The ward leaders don't like each other, but they hate outsiders even more. They didn't let that stand. But a quarter of them were dead before they finally acted."

"Ward leaders," Kurama muses, "I haven't heard the term before." He doesn't want to think about what losing a quarter of the most powerful demons in the country would have done to the city at the time.

The snake looks abashed for a moment but smooths the expression over.

"It was a good move making friends with Shinjuku," the snake says. "No one stays if they don't approve you. And now you're ward leader of Shibuya."

"Tell me more about the Shinjuku demons."

The snake seems to slide along beside Kurama as they move into the next gallery. His news had been valuable and now he's just oiling wheels. Kurama wonders faintly what he wants. The old him would have said getting to stay alive was the reward for good work, but the new him is far more munificent.

"There's three of them, they're all human-world born, and they work to keep their profiles low. None of them are famous fighters so they're not often challenged. The tanuki have been in Tokyo the longest out of all the ward leaders. The rumor is they've been living in the same spot since the Great Fire."

Over three hundred and fifty years, Kurama thinks. Enough time to loose one's edge.

"And the other?"

"Well, you know her," the snake says, oiling along. Then he catches Kurama's stare and stutters out of breath.

"Does everyone know that?"

"Those-those of us who make knowing things our business. All the ward leaders too undoubtedly. We don't know what type of demon she is, but those who've tried to watch her fight think she's a wind demon. Prince Jiro brought her over about thirty years ago; she's American." The snake shrugged. "She's boring."

"And these three are the key to the city?"

"Them and Prince Jiro. The tanuki have age and the tengu has power; and the foreigner has money."

"Could any of them be behind this plot?"

"No, no, no," the snake shakes his head but the movement's odd, too smooth for a shake. "This isn't them at all. This isn't any of the usual players."

Their talk is informative, but long. Afterwards, Kurama could do with a nice drink and a long quiet think. He wanders away from the museum looking for a coffee shop. There's still no sign of the cat demon and he feels like it would be best to get something out here, away from all the familiar places where the new scenery might jog his mind out of its usual ruts. He gets like that sometimes and he knows its because he's old, so used to solving problems in the same ways and having it work so easily. Sometimes he needs a push to be able to look at problems the right way.

He wanders past Ueno station, then decides to head east toward Asakusa and the Senso-ji temple. Its maybe a mile from where he is, a nice quick walk to help him clear his head before he has a coffee and can amuse himself by watching tourists gawk at the temple. Only, it would be a lot easier to clear his head if he weren't picking up on so much youki.

Kurama turns to follow it, caught up in his curiosity. The mix of smells in the street makes it difficult to pick out individuals until he turns down a side street. Then the auras and scents are a lot clearer. He identifies at least ten different individuals, but they've all come and gone at different times. A couple seem to have taken this path several times in the last few days; Kurama continues following the traces. There's a familiar citrus scent in the air too and it's one of the most recent.

Kurama thinks he understands Chouko's youki now, why it has that odd constrained feeling to it. She is suppressing it unnaturally well; the open park and main boulevards wasn't what she'd suited it to, but the dense warren of Tokyo's side streets and alleys. She's pressed it down until it doesn't leave much of a trail and it can't be sensed from the other side of a building. He can't even sense her until he's on the small alley where all of the trails end. There appears to be a coffee shop a block ahead and Kurama heads for it, knowing that everyone inside will know he's coming; wondering what he's about to find: a secret meeting, some sort of demonic club? He's heard rumors of places like that in the city, where demons gather to act on their worst urges. He supposes it's time to find out.


	16. Chapter 16

16

_My pen name has changed because WTH, also, how was DoctorGirlfriend available?! It was a winning day for me, my friends._

* * *

Kurama takes a breath as he approaches and prepares for anything. He can't see in through the traditional style lattice and paper windows, so he takes the plunge instead, opening the door. A string of fabric elephants covered in tiny bells gives a merry jingle as the door swings to and a burst of cool air strikes him. A few people look around but not with much interest. Inside it's a coffee shop. All the correct smells are there along with the quiet murmur of several different conversations, there's even the vaguely-Indian acoustic music playing. The counter is straight ahead, running lengthwise down the building while a scattering of tables and chairs are to his right. In the far back there's a raised tatami floor and Kurama spots a miko sitting up there, talking intently with a man who is definitely not human. Mostly there's spiritually aware humans around, but several tables appear to be freshly emptied and Kurama assumes it's because the demons took a quick walk out the back door when they sensed him coming.

He finally spots Chouko as he walks further in. She's seated cross-legged and barefoot in the window seat with a huge stringed instrument across her lap. Turns out she's the source of the music—part of him isn't surprised. It takes Kurama a second to identify the instrument while his eyes are following her fingers as they flow across the strings. A sitar. The word comes to him suddenly, welling up with some vague memories of incense and a long-dead crow. Part of him suspects she's doing it on purpose to torment him, but there's no way she could know.

A middle-aged demon tends the counter. He's radiating low-level youki, maybe low-C, and he positively quails as Kurama walks up. Then the scent hits—a dog—and Kurama's hackles rise. Even though he could clearly crush the inu, Kurama's heart picks up for a moment and he almost snarls. No matter how many centuries go by, he'll always have the same reaction, but at least he's the master of it now.

He orders two coffees and the demon begins making them, but they're watching each other the whole time, waiting for any slight movement to signal an attack. Kurama pays and then there's a moment where the coffees and money are just sitting on the counter while the demons stare at each other. Gods, Kurama thinks, he'd forgotten how much he dislikes dogs.

"Grass-eating boy, you're scaring Shizuka."

Kurama turns to look at Chouko, who hasn't stopped playing.

"Are you stalking me again?" she asks, glancing up through her lashes at him.

He takes the drinks and strolls toward her, feeling like he's walking into a trap with open arms and a stupid grin on his face. Feeling like he's made a huge mistake by turning his back on a dog demon in an enclosed space.

"I was never stalking you."

He places the coffees on the table beside her, sliding one toward her before taking a seat in a chair. There's room on the window seat beside her and he knows that's the very last place he should sit right now. So he sits with his back to the wall, Chouko to his left, and the expanse of the coffee shop clearly in his field of vision. Kurama knows he's telegraphing his nervousness to the entire room, but the only person who seems to be watching them is the dog demon, and he's staying firmly behind the counter.

"I don't believe you," she says a moment later, but her eyes are closed again and she's still playing.

"As you wish," he replies, "but I came out here to go to the museums. And then I wanted to find a nice coffee shop and have a coffee. I suppose you would call it Hitsuzen."

Her mouth quirks but she doesn't answer.

"What about you, do you come out to Taito often?"

"No. I'd never come to this part of the city if I didn't come here and I miss the old place sometimes. So, every now and again I wander out and Shizuka lets me play something in the corner."

She nods toward the dog demon behind the counter, who's still watching them closely. Kurama doesn't mention that he noticed the sign by the counter promising live sitar music every other Thursday.

"Miss it?"

"I used to live here. Shinjuku is prime real estate, you don't just move into it, it has to be agreed on."

"I just moved into Shibuya," he says mildly, wondering what sort of reaction it will get. The frowning sort is the answer.

"Yes, but you are the great and terrible Youko Kurama, dear friend of King Urameshi—you can do what you damn well please. No one person can defend their home ward against you and everyone else is just pleased you didn't decide to live next to them."

"I didn't mean—"

"You didn't know," she says and stops playing.

There's a shop-wide pause in conversation and the fox feels uncomfortably like he's intruding. Then music comes on over the speakers, and everything goes back to normal.

"Unusual place," he says, letting his eyes scan over the other patrons. There's the miko and her demon friend in the back, a trio of spiritually strong men in the middle of the room, laughing and telling stories, and a pair of young women even closer who are both on their phones and talking animatedly and buzzing with over-excited spirit energy.

"It's a place for those who want to be able to talk without worrying that someone is going to overhear and report them to the police," Chouko says smoothly. "For humans and demons."

She sits forward to lift her coffee cup and Kurama can't help admiring the movement and the way her hair slides over her shoulder. He'd still like to run his hands through it, but for slightly more complicated reasons now.

"How long have you lived in Tokyo, Chouko?"

"I might tell you that, on a future date." Her smile is a little taunting as it rises over the edge of her cup.

"I should have called you."

She sits back, the instrument across her chest like a protective barrier, and regards him cooly.

"Yes, but then you would have had to admit that things didn't go as planned."

He quirks an eyebrow and waits for her to go on.

"You wanted things to go badly," she says, "you were waiting for it. You're still waiting for it. Still too much of a sly, old fox to handle—me."

She strikes the sitar strings again and stares at him with those chocolate colored eyes, daring him to contradict her. Waiting for him to say something as the discordant tones fade out. Handle her, he'd definitely like to handle her, not that he can even fully admit that idea yet. He takes a sip of coffee and lets the showdown go on a little longer.

"You can't blame me for being cautious," he says at last.

"No, but sabotage is another matter. If you want to see me again, don't follow me to coffee shops, use your phone and ask me to get coffee with you."

"So you're done with your Hitsuzen?"

"You don't believe in it," she quips.

"I'm starting to."

That seems to throw her off and she flushes slightly. He presses his advantage, offering a little bow over the table.

"I apologize, Chouko-san, for my poor manners in not calling you, and for startling you here. As you might imagine, I don't know much about human dating rules. Would you be so kind as to get coffee with me next week?"

She's going slightly pink but she sets her face into a frown.

"No, I can't reward this sort of behavior. You can't ask me like this."

Kurama sighs and takes out his phone. She'll either be infuriated or amused and he thinks he'll be amused whatever her reaction. He texts her.

Then Chouko does the oddest thing. Her phone begins playing yet another song—this one starts out low and jazzy—and Chouko dives for her purse, nearly dropping the sitar in the process. She pulls the whole bag out from under the table and dumps the contents in her lap, tossing the purse aside and snatching the phone from the assortment of objects spilling across the seat.

Kurama can't quite make out the words, the song is in English and muffled, but she is clearly in the midst of a very controlled panic.

"_It's witchcraft_," the phone sings before Chouko finally hits the right button and silences it.

Kurama plants an elbow on the table and rests his chin on his palm, watching her calmly as she reads the text and tries not to blush.

"Don't look at me like that," she says without looking up.

"Have you assigned everyone personalized ringtones?" he asks, trying to keep the smirk from his face and failing.

"Everyone I might need to identify before I pick up the phone."

She still won't meet his eye.

"And what ringtone have you assigned me?"

The question seems to relieve her somewhat and she shakes her head.

"No. I'm not telling you."

Kurama smiles and reaches for her phone, only to have his hand slapped down. It's a surprisingly heavy blow coming from such a casual motion and he decides he's been underestimating her physical strength. It's also the third time they touch and he hadn't quite meant it to go like that.

"You haven't answered my other question," he says and her frown stays in place.

"Maybe I'll let you know in a few days. It's not like you've been in any hurry."

And then, before he can think of the best way to start digging himself out of this apparent hole he's sunken into, she's swept all of the items back into her purse and is standing. She has shoes on a second later and is striding across the coffee shop with the sitar—which she hands over the counter.

Kurama gets to his feet, watching her and everyone else in the shop carefully. The other patrons are watching him with some curiosity but no apprehension; either they don't know how powerful the arguing demons are or they don't see them as a danger. _Idiocy_, he can't help thinking as he glances over the humans.

"Thank you for the coffee," Chouko says, and then she's gone, out the door with a jingle of bells and a flash of sunlight.

Kurama picks up his drink and goes after her, still impressed by how fast she can move when she wants to. He doesn't run, that would be too much like stalking her. She isn't in the alleyway and while she could have gotten around the corner in the time it took him to get outside, there isn't a clear trail to either side. Kurama looks up and sees a shadow pass between rooftops. At least she's still demon enough for that, he thinks and, after a moment, decides to continue on to the temple. He needs the walk even more now.

* * *

_The next chapter will probably be about twice as long as the normal ones because I just noticed how the chapter numbers are rapidly climbing. If you've got a minute, let me know what you think so far!_

_ChuyaDud and nevvy, thanks so much for the reviews! Nevvy, if we could call it a 'psychological thriller' I'd be pretty pleased. _


	17. Chapter 17

17

_Thanks _Gimei_, _bananamush_, and _ChuyaDud_ for the reviews on last chapter!_

* * *

Kurama remembers a few days later that he can google things in English and types 'witchcraft song' in the search bar. After he listens to the result he laughs until he thinks the neighbors might be worrying about his sanity. It gives him hope that Chouko will come around, eventually. She's ignored three days of texts so far. Kaito, on the other hand, is a little too enthusiastic on the phone. He calls three days in a row to remind Kurama about dinner and to make sure he won't try to weasel out of it.

"I will see you at seven," Kurama says as he's unpacking groceries Sunday afternoon.

"At the sushi place. I sent you the map."

"Yes, thank you, I got it," Kurama says. He also received the address, specific directions from the two nearest train stations, and a picture of the building from Kaito. "I will be there."

"Ok, see you there, at seven," Kaito says.

"I look forward to meeting your girlfriend," Kurama adds before hanging up, just to make Kaito nervous. He knows he shouldn't, but he likes pushing sometimes and seeing what happens. It doesn't help that he knows what all of Kaito's buttons are.

Kurama almost shows up a few minutes late, just to make Kaito sweat, but politeness wins out in the end and he's there exactly on time, sliding in through the front doors and up to Kaito just as the human is about to look around for him. Kurama has to give him credit, Kaito doesn't even jump, he just smiles and pushes up his glasses.

"Ah, right on time, Minamino-kun."

"I hope you weren't waiting long."

"Not at all." Kaito's grin is almost infectious as he puts a hand on the woman standing beside him. "Let me introduce you. Minamino this is my girlfriend, Abe Miyuki. Miyuki, this is Minamino Shuichi."

"Call me Miyuki, Minamino-kun," Miyuki says with a knowing smile. It's the sort of smile a woman uses to say 'I know exactly what sort of man you are and you won't impress me.' Kurama has to wonder what sort of stories Kaito has been telling her as they bow hello.

"And please call me Shuichi," Kurama adds.

Miyuki is wearing fashionably oversized glasses and has bangs cut straight across her forehead and shoulder length hair. She's wearing jeans and a tucked in, oversized shirt. Kurama wonders if this is the new literary-chic and tries to ignore Kaito's gloating expression as they're shown to a table.

Kurama asks them about the literary journal and they want to know how his classes have been going now that they're more than half-way through his first semester.

There's a brief lull as the food arrives and then Miyuki asks:

"Do you have a girlfriend, Shuichi-kun?"

"No, not currently," Kurama says and tries to keep the smile natural. "It's difficult to handle a relationship and schoolwork."

The face Kaito is making is a mixture of smugness and amusement, not unusual, but not exactly Kurama's favorite.

"Was Shizuru the last one?" Kaito asks and Kurama isn't really pleased with the course the conversation is taking.

"Yes, she was."

"What happened there?" Kaito laughs with sudden embarrassment and adjusts his glasses. "Has it been long enough for me to finally ask?"

"Shizuru is the older sister of our mutual friend, Kuwabara-kun," Kurama says by way of explanation, and to stall for time. "And we are not each other's normal type."

"That's an understatement!" Kaito snorts.

"After college are you going to be supporting him and his writing career?" Kurama says to Miyuki and gets just the reaction he wants from Kaito, who flushes, splutters, and has to wipe off his glasses again.

"It's looking that way," she replies with a smirk while Kaito is still trying to get a sentence together.

"I've been selling short stories!" he snaps finally.

"I'm sure they're excellent," Kurama says with a smile and lets the matter slip away, but he seems to have won Miyuki over.

"Can I ask you something, Shuichi-kun, about Yu?"

The subject of Miyuki's question has stepped away from the table, and she leans forward, looking earnest, her defensive smirk finally dropping. It's a question and a level of seriousness that makes Kurama worry.

"Of course."

"Has he ever talked to you about psychics?"

And we reach the crux of the matter, Kurama can't help thinking. It's perhaps the real reason Kaito was so anxious to make sure he showed up.

"Yes, we've talked about the supernatural at great length."

Miyuki pauses. She knows his reputation from Kaito and she's made her judgements based on dinner. She clearly wasn't expecting that answer.

"Have you met Yukina?" Kurama asks.

"Um, no, she is—"

"She is my friend Kuwabara's girlfriend," he says and waits for her to piece together the people. When she nods he goes on. "She runs a reiki healing practice. Some people might not believe it effective, but several of my friends have gone to her when feeling unwell or suffering some illness and have come out of it much better."

He doesn't mention the gaping wounds that are usually the cause of feeling unwell.

Still Miyuki looks doubtful.

"I've found when it comes to things like this, it is more about what you've experienced personally than how you try to understand it logically."

"Yu says he's got psychic powers!" she blurts out.

Kurama smiles faintly and wonders where the hell Kaito's gone off to. He was supposed to have this discussion with his girlfriend, not sucker Kurama into talking her through it while hiding in the bathroom.

"Well you should ask him to share them with you, when you're ready."

"Wh-what?"

"You should ask Kaito to show you these powers, once you've prepared yourself for either outcome."

"You think he has them, don't you?" she says in an undertone, now looking at Kurama like he's crazy. He decides blunt honesty might just be the best policy. She's too sharp to trick or befuddle on this front.

"I do."

"And do you think you have them too?"

"No," Kurama says. "I'm not a psychic."

"And you think I should ask Kaito to show me what he can do?"

"Seeing is believing, as they say," Kurama spreads his hands. "If he agrees you'll know either way."

She nods, hair swinging and her glasses nearly slide off.

"Yes, that's true, if he proves it, he proves it."

"But you must be prepared for him to prove it," Kurama says, letting some seriousness into his voice. He can only imagine the damage it would do to the relationship if Kaito ripped out his girlfriend's soul when she wasn't expecting it.

"Ok. Thank you for answering my honestly, Shuichi-kun."

"It's no problem." Kurama pauses, thinking, while Miyuki chews her lip. She is a woman, Kurama reasons, sometimes that's enough. "Now, Miyuki-chan, do you think I could ask you a question?"

"Go right ahead, I doubt you can top mine."

"But first you must promise not to tell Kaito-kun," Kurama says and glances around to make sure Kaito's still out of earshot.

"I promise," she says and leans forward, eager for a big secret.

"What is the appropriate time frame for calling a woman after a date?"

Miyuki's face breaks into a surprised smile, but at least she manages to keep her laugh in.

"What?"

"I reasoned that the next day would be too soon, too eager, but apparently waiting several days is bad form."

"You waited _days_?" Miyuki says in a horrified voice. "Days?"

"Well," Kurama feels the need to defend himself, "she texted me the next day and I replied. I didn't want to call or text her too soon after and seem—" He doesn't even finish the sentence because Miyuki's face says it all. "Ah."

"_Ah_ is right! She probably thinks it went horribly!" Miyuki laughs and shakes her head. "Yu made you sound like some smooth operator, scooping up girls right and left."

Kurama has to laugh at that, and they're both still chuckling when Kaito finally reappears. It turns out that while they were talking Kaito has paid the bill. When Kurama beings to protest the human holds up a hand and shakes his head.

"_Next time_ you can get it, Minamino."

"Fine, but I might require you come down to Shibuya."

Kaito laughs and Miyuki smiles.

"We're free every Sunday and Tuesday, Shuichi-kun."

Apparently Kaito has told her Kurama is hard to get ahold of. The agree on dinner in two weeks and head out. Kaito's apartment is only a few blocks away and Kurama waves goodbye to the humans while turning toward the metro. He's almost there when he senses the increasingly familiar youki from a nearby rooftop and pulls out his phone.

_Maybe you'd prefer bubble tea? _he texts.

A moment later there's a reply: _All the bubble tea shops are closed_.

_Perhaps tomorrow then?_

The youki fades away but after a minute or so his phone buzzes again.

_Perhaps_.

* * *

Bubble tea is not Kurama's favorite drink. It's not even in his top ten favorite drinks. There are, in fact, many other flavors and types of tea he'd put on a list of enjoyable drinks list before he got around to 'sweet fruity concoction with strange chewy bits masquerading as tea.' But Chouko is happily chewing and slurping away. He's starting to think she might be a disgusting eater when she's pleased, or maybe she's working her jaw that much just to unnerve him. Either way he lets his gaze slide away from her and examines the street around them.

They're in Harajuku, walking up the tree-lined street in the direction of the Meiji Shrine. Teenagers with interesting colored hair keep passing or milling around in groups. As always, the latest human fashions perplex him slightly. A street artist is nearby and the smells of watercolors and spray paint drift on the breeze, mixed in with all the various people smells and car fumes. Kurama, who considers himself the least likely person to make use of the famed shopping district can't help being amused that now the other high-ranking demons in the city have to check in with him before going there.

"I'm glad you finally agreed to see me," he says as he follows her across a pedestrian bridge.

Chouko's eyebrows go up and she takes an extra-loud slurp. Kurama manages to keep his hands in his pockets but he'd rather slap the cup out of her hand and throw the straw into the street. Instead of answering him she shrugs and heads for one of the many stores selling a wide variety of overly cute and generally useless things. Kurama follows her in.

"It's a nice day for a walk," he says as she brushes her hands over everything she walks past. She keeps going, without even a glance back.

"Am I getting the silent treatment?" he asks, finally following her down an aisle entirely filled with Hello Kitty merchandise.

"No," she says and turns left.

He hurries to catch up, nearly running into a rotating stand full of USB toys. You can get a mini-vacuum to clean up keyboard dust or a tiny dog that will hump the side of your laptop. Kurama ducks around this and passes a shelf of cell phone charms, finding Chouko standing by a table covered in cutesy journals and notebooks.

"I was thinking," she says and holds up a notebook with an incomprehensible string of English words on it. "I know you were meeting with Shimoda last Thursday; I want to know what he told you."

"What?"

Her eyes flash and she jabs the journal at him. "I want to know what you learned, Shuichi-kun."

"How do you know I was meeting with him?"

Kurama realizes, as Chouko eyes him, that it was a stupid question. He's too used to Yusuke and Kuwabara's limited use of their senses. Here he's dealing with someone who's had centuries to perfect the art of detecting and tracking other demons. She can probably smell everyone he's interacted with in the last twelve hours, just like if he leaned closer he could pick up the scents of all the different people who've brushed against her on the street or in the subway.

"I've met him," she says, "I remember what he smells like. Reptiles," she shakes her head, "stand out."

Now it's Kurama's turn to take a drink and stall for time. They have a stare down beside the journals while a pair of excited university students are putting their high school English to use translating the random words beside them. The girls become aware of the standoff after a few minutes and scutter away, giggling behind their hands at what they assume is a lover's spat and not a careful weighing of a dangerous possible enemy.

"Look," Chouo says finally, "I'm not going to go hunt him down and kill him for not coming to me if that's what you're afraid of. You're lucky, Shimoda is a good source."

"Tell me why he didn't go to you," Kurama says.

Chouko's smile is wry as she puts the journal down. "He doesn't like women. He only works for pretty men. You're also famous, probably the most famous demon living in Tokyo, and he's a star-fu—" She drops the word as a little girl goes by.

Kurama can't help a snort and Chuko shrugs. The movement is...distracting.

"Give me a reason to trust you and tell you what I've learned," he says, dragging his eyes up to hers.

Chouko tilts her head, flutters her eyelashes, and leans forward. Kurama keeps his eyes firmly fixed on hers, despite how low-cut her shirt suddenly seems. It's almost as if the top button has suddenly come undone, and Kurama frowns as he continues the stare-off.

"Oh, you're no fun!" Chouko says and turns away, skirt swishing against the table and his legs.

He could almost touch her. She looks at him over her shoulder just as he thinks it and he knows she knows.

"Tell me," she says as she walks away, "because you want an ally."

He trails after her, not minding the view while he mulls through things.

"I want to know about something that happened twenty years ago," he says as she wanders into a section of the store with stuffed animals. He avoids commenting on the stuffed fox she picks up.

"Fine, a trade then," she says, turning the fox over and checking its tags.

"The snake said someone is gathering B and C class demons and planning to attack the A class demons in the human world. He thinks the person responsible is not in Tokyo but is thought to be in the human world."

He crosses his arms and waits for a response as Chouko toys with the fox and bites her lip. Millennia-old demons shouldn't be allowed to bite their lips and hold stuffed animals, Kurama thinks, it's not fair to everyone who's used to playing by normal demon rules and is unprepared for this sort of ruse.

"I think I know what you're going to ask then," she says at last. "Nineteen years ago the—you've probably heard the term by now—ward leaders of Setagaya, Ota, Koto, Edogawa, and Chiyoda were killed within the span of a few months. Similar attacks happened over a two year period in Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Jakarta, and Manila."

"Not Beijing?"

"No. So you see the pattern?"

"They're all on large bodies of water, so it was a water demon," Kurama says and scratches his chin. "Except Chiyoda doesn't fit the pattern."

"She died in the final fight," Chouko says and the pain in her voice is almost palpable. "Chiyoda hasn't had a ward leader since. People have tried to take it but we won't let them."

And that explains so much about the city, Kurama thinks. He says:

"And in this final fight, the demon responsible was killed too?"

"Yes, she was."

"Is it possible she could have survived?"

Chouko's laugh is hollow and dark and she squeezes the stuffed toy in a way that Kurama can't help but notice. "Oh no. Jiro ate her heart while we all watched."

That seems a little extreme, even by demon standards, and Kurama thinks about how uncomfortable Chouko sounds. She gives herself a little shake, tucks the stuffed fox under her arm and walks back up the store.

"You still seem uneasy," Kurama says. "Bad memories?" He's hoping she'll elaborate. He wants to know more about what happened, but he also wants to know more about this strange demon who keeps drawing him in.

Chouko smiles grimly.

"Consider a situation in which you discover someone you've considered a friend is killing your mutual acquaintances and eating parts of them to gain their strength. This friend also plans to eventually kill and eat you. So you collect a group of acquaintances to kill and eat your friend instead. Bad memory maybe?"

Kurama chuckles, he can't help it, and the flash of fury on Chouko's face doesn't particularly help. "Sounds like a day in the demon world," he remarks and she only rolls her eyes.

"You can go to hell, fox."

"I've been."

Her mouth quirks at that and the dark mood seems to pass.

She buys the stuffed fox.

"What are you going to do with that?" he can't help asking as they leave the store.

She leans toward him and there's a sudden, sharp tug before she skips back, holding one of his hairs.

"Voodoo doll," she says, waving the strand at him.

Something in him says 'it's now or never' and he steps toward her. Chouko grins and hides her hands behind her back. Kurama's smiling too but in a faintly predatory way as he closes the distance between them. She puffs up her chest and stares up at him, daring him to try to take the hair back. Instead, he runs a hand through her hair, letting it slide through his fingers and smelling tangerines. Chouko blushes but doesn't break eye-contact and that settles it.

Kurama leans in until their youki crackles and their lips meet.

For a moment everything is electric as their energy crashes together. Chouko grabs the front of his shirt and pulls him closer while burying her other hand in his hair. Kurama wraps his arms around her and doesn't care that they are on a busy sidewalk in the middle of the afternoon. Her lips are soft and taste of tangerines and he would wrap himself in her youki and sink with her.

There's a faint pressure on his chest and he leans back to see Chouko's face is still pink. Her wide brown eyes are depths he would happily dive into again.

"You shouldn't have done that," she says.

"Why, is one of your husbands going to show up?"

Instead of answering, she looks across the street and Kurama follows her gaze—to where Yukina, Shizuru, Kuwabara, and Jin are standing and staring at him with open mouths. Then the latter grins and lets out a piercing wolf-whistle.

Chouko bolts.

* * *

For those who know the reference or feel like looking it up in youtube, what do you think of Chouko's ringtone choice?

And a second question, if I were going to update the fic summary are there any things you all think I should include or leave out? I know what I look for when I'm picking something new to read but everybody's different, so I'd appreciate the input.


	18. Chapter 18

18

Thanks for the reviews _ChuyaDud, nevvy, and xenocanaan_!

Sorry if it wasn't clear before, Chouko's ringtone for Kurama is 'Witchcraft' by Frank Sinatra, because she has a lot of feelings right now.

Nevvy: dark ghiradelli chocolate brownies? Those are my favorite. Can we be friends? ;-)

* * *

"Shit," Kurama says, spinning around and trying to track her.

He follows the smell of tangerines down the alley beside the store. His phone comes up Kuwabara and Kurama flips it open as he jumps silently over a crowd of schoolgirls. They're too absorbed in their phones to notice him.

"Nice make-out spot."

Kurama reads the text and decides answering it would be below him. And probably lead to him hurting Kuwabara. The trail ends abruptly which means she's on the roofs. Kurama thinks about following her for an instant but all of her comments about stalking stop him. His phone buzzes and it's Kuwabara again. With growing annoyance he goes to read this one too.

"That was Jin. Please don't kill me."

Kurama sighs and decides to try Chouko.

"Chouko," he texts, "please come back."

Kurama stands, forcing himself to be still, to not look anxious, and worries about all the ways in which things may have just gone wrong. There's no answer.

"I'm sorry about my friends. Sometimes they're idiots. I hope you won't hold it against them." Or me, he thinks as he hits send, but still there's no reply.

Standing in the alley isn't going to bring her back, so Kurama walks back up to the main street, hands stuffed in his pockets, doing his best not to look murderous. It's not working completely because as he walks up to his friends Kuwabara ducks behind Shizuru and Jin holds up his hands and puts on his most conciliatory smile. The wind demon has a cap pulled down over his horn and ears, but Kurama can still see that the ears are wiggling in amusement. Jin is also miraculously wearing a shirt, though it does appear to be one of Kuwabara's.

"Where'd the lass go?" Jin asks with a cheeky grin.

"She's gone," Kurama replies. There still hasn't been an answer to his texts.

"She just ran off?" Kuwabara is scratching his head and peering out from behind Shizuru. "That was the same demon that ran away from you before, wasn't it?"

"This appears to be how she reacts to being startled by unknown demons."

"Doesn't seem very, you know, demon-like, does it?" Kuwabara muses. Kurama does his best not to let his growing annoyance out, even though he's perfectly aware of ever weed growing between the cracks in the sidewalk and all of the trees so usefully surrounding them.

"Are normal people just too boring for you?" Jin asks in a stage whisper and earns a smack upside his head from Shizuru.

"You must admit, it would be an uncomfortable way to meet us," Yukina says and as always she cuts straight to the issue.

"What brings you to Tokyo?" Kurama asks Jin, carefully packing away his feelings until he's calm and unruffled again.

"Chu is visiting the temple."

"Oh?"

"With Natsume."

Kurama can see where this is going and Yukina and Kuwabara are looking embarrassed while Shizuru is smirking.

"After three days with no sleep I said to m'self well I don't have to stay here, I've got friends I can visit! And I flew right on down."

"I'm glad you've finally made it to Tokyo, even if that's what it took to get you here."

Jin shrugs and scratches the back of his head. "Ah well, I'm strong enough to handle this city now. No need t'be nervous unless I offend the bigwigs. They're a touchy lot, y'know?"

Kurama doesn't tell him that he just wolf-whistled one of them. He falls in with the group as they continue up the street. Still no response from Chouko.

"What's brought you all to Harajuku?" he asks.

"We're buying Yukina some new things," Shizuru says.

"For my TV appearance," Yukina adds. She holds out a bag and smiles. "They have been kind enough to give me a few tickets for friends, I was hoping you would join Kazuma and Shizuru in the audience."

"I'd be happy to," Kurama says and still doesn't like this whole thing one bit.

"We're also trying to get some decent clothes for this idiot," Shizuru jabs her thumb in Kuwabara's direction.

"My clothes are just fine! I don't see what all the fuss is about, sis."

Shizuru waves her fake cigarette at him. "It's about everything. We don't want the TV-viewing public thinking Yukina is dating some street thug, wannabe yakuza."

"I'm not a street thug, I'm a college student!" Kuwabara shouts and people begin giving their group an even wider berth as they go around them.

"Yeah, well you still dress like you're the first one."

Kurama follows along as Shizuru drags Kuwabara through three stores and the siblings have shouting matches in each one. Yukina runs interference and Jin chats up every woman who walks past them.

"You're scaring them off," Kurama says as another annoyed looking girl hurries away.

"What? I'm just being friendly."

"Too friendly."

"There's no such thing!"

Kurama chuckles and shakes his head.

"Alright, you tell me what's friendly but not too friendly."

"I'm afraid I'm still learning myself."

Jin elbows him and grins. "Oh yeah, you think maybe you were too friendly out on th' sidewalk earlier?"

Kurama elbows him back and laughs despite himself. "Yes, probably."

It's an hour later when Kurama finally gets a response. The text says: "sorry about that," and nothing else. He can't decide whether or not it's a good sign.

* * *

A storm has been brewing since the morning and as Kurama leaves his final class of the day the first few raindrops begin to strike. He hurries toward the tall, white archway that cuts through the center of the East Research Building and the stairs that lead through it down to the street, jogging alongside the two girls from his programming class. They're the only two in this class and they seem to have adopted him, perhaps because he is the only man in the class currently able to hold a conversation with them that doesn't end up embarrassing somebody. They've also both remarked on his hair quite a bit so that might have been the deciding factor.

"Damn, I can't believe I left my umbrella today!" Ayame says, dragging her hair out of her eyes as they reach the steps.

"That'll teach you to pay attention to the weather reports!" Sakura brandishes a clear umbrella with bear ears and a face.

The rain is picking up and both girls are wearing impractical shoes for the slick sidewalks.

"Here, Ayame, take mine."

Both girls stare at Kurama, or perhaps they're staring at the bright red umbrella he's offering. Sometimes he just can't help it, he's drawn to bright colors like a magpie to metal, and ever since he's started dressing more carefully for class his accessories have gotten brighter.

"But then you'll get soaked!"

"And we can squeeze together under my umbrella, Shuichi," Sakura links her arm with Ayame and both girls smile.

"But you're going in different directions. I insist. And, unlike the two of you, I can run to my station."

The girls glance down at their feet and laugh nervously.

"Oh fine, thank you, Shuichi," Ayame sighs as she takes the umbrella. "I owe you."

"Well, when I don't know an answer on the final I'll feel better about stealing yours."

Kurama chuckles and the girls roll their eyes. They walk down the stairs and into the crowd that's gathered under the protection of the roof at the edge of the sidewalk. Black umbrellas sprout like weeds on the street while those without huddle just out of reach of the water and complain.

Kurama tucks his bag under his arm to better shield it from the rain and gets ready to run. He has to keep his pace at human levels until he can duck out of sight and leap onto a roof.

"Ready for it?" Sakura says, raising her umbrella.

Then the lightning strikes, flashing above them in the sky with a wave of thunder immediately on its heels. People shriek and jump back and Kurama's stomach turns. Underneath the rolls of thunder was youki. It fills the space around him, roiling the air, growing with every moment as the rain intensifies. Lightning strikes again.

"Stay here!" Kurama calls to the girls and steps out onto the sidewalk.

They call his name but he can't pay them any attention right now. To his left, less than a block away, a demon is waiting for him. Kurama walks forward, keeping his pace casual as people rush past him on the street, umbrellas and raincoats obscuring his view. The Tokyo Tower rises above the buildings at the end of the street, silhouetted ominously against the yellow clouds of the storm.

Then the crowd parts suddenly and Kurama sees him. A tall, lean man with raven hair, leaning casually against the concrete tori gate marking the entrance to a shrine. His suit is expensive, well-cut, and untouched by the rain. Kurama notes the unusually long nose as he approaches. He gets a once over in return and the tengu's mouth twists into a sneer as he steps away from the gate.

"This is my ward, you're here on sufferance." The man's voice rumbles like the thunder and lightning strikes above them.

"You must be the renowned Prince Jiro; I'm pleased to meet you at last."

Kurama offers a small bow, perhaps small enough to be insulting.

Jiro takes a step forward, his power increasing, and Kurama lets his spread out in return, unfolding from its tight constraints.

They stand there, staring at each other, youki pressing against youki, crackling as the thunderstorm rages around them. Kurama would never admit it aloud but he's impressed by the level of the tengu's weather control. He's been assuming that the Tokyo demons are powerful, but lazy and out of practice, but again he's made too many assumptions just because they're not out trying to conquer each other or the world.

"Was there anything you wanted to discuss?" Kurama asks with a pleasant smile, one designed to annoy.

Jiro takes a step closer and Kurama can feel that he isn't even half-way powered up.

"That woman," the tengu rumbles, "is like a sister to me. So I'm warning you, if this is one of your infamous tricks, not even your friendship with Urameshi will protect you."

"If I meant any harm to Chouko-san, I can assure you, Yusuke would not seek to protect me. He would consider it unconscionable, and so would I."

"I'm afraid your reputation proceeds you, _fox_."

Lightning strikes the tori gate beside them and people on the street scream and throw themselves away from it. Kurama and Jiro don't move and the fox is overly conscious of the fact that someone from his school will seem him—has probably already seen him. Jiro's picked the place and time on purpose and it makes Kurama wish for his rose whip and an opportunity to bring the tengu down a few notches. Instead, he keeps his facade calm and says:

"Duly noted. However, I am not playing a trick on her and I think Chouko-san is old enough to take care of herself."

Something like a growl comes from Jiro's throat and Kurama thinks there must be a lot more to the relationship than he's guessed at and he's guessed quite a bit based on the information that Jiro brought Chouko to Tokyo.

Kurama's phone buzzes, Chouko's ringtone, and he draw it out of his pocket with a faint smile. They must be giving off enough youki to be sensed across the city. He faintly hopes Kuwabara isn't trying to rush down here right now.

"Let's see what Chouko-san has to say," Kurama says as he opens the text.

"Boys, behave yourselves."

Kurama holds up his phone for the tengu to see. Jiro sniffs like he's above it all.

"You don't know her, Kurama, and I doubt a demon without loyalty could understand. We have different values here than your type."

"I'm not the King of Thieves anymore," Kurama says, feeling offended at the way he's being judged, but unwilling to let it be known that the insults sting.

"That remains to be seen."

The tengu turns and walks past Kurama, up the steps to the shrine. Kurama watches him go and doesn't relax until he feels the tengu's youki moving back toward Roppongi. He's soaked and tense by the time he gets to the subway, and the cold blast of air conditioning on the train doesn't improve his mood. Kuwabara's series of panicked texts, and a couple from Kaito, don't help matters, though he tries to reassure them.

When he gets home he carefully extracts his laptop and papers from his bag and lays everything out to dry. Then he goes for a soak in the tub and some careful consideration of the day's events.

* * *

(If you want to see where they're having this conversation, pop this address into google maps: ２丁目-１３−９ Mita Minato, Tokyo 108-0073, and go to street view) I spend way too much time picking locations for scenes...I think I have two or three different maps of Tokyo bookmarked


	19. Chapter 19

19

_Thanks for reading, everyone, and thanks for the reviews!_

Xenocanaan_: Thanks! Jiro's going to be around more now that we've finally met him._

Distopia_: thanks, I am really trying to give this story enough time to build up to what it wants to be in the end. I really enjoy creating worlds that are pretty complicated and twisted up inside so I'm glad you like it that way!_

Gimei_: thanks! i'm a pretty visual person so it helps me a lot writing-wise to be able to place them in semi-real locations. I have the neighborhoods where everyone lives picked out and try to have them go to actual places around Tokyo (especially places I've been to so I can be nostalgic, lol)._

Nevvy_: I feel like Kurama probably has a lot of weird quirks and it's a lot of fun thinking of what they would be. He's a bit more cautious then Chouko here, his ringtone for her is just a different preset—distinctive but not telling. Glad you checked out the address, I'll have to include more in the future!_

* * *

It's midweek when Kurama's phone rings. He's headed to the library with Ayame and Sakura but he lets them pull ahead as he takes out his phone. Chouko's name flashes on screen and he stops walking to answer it.

"Hello. I am having a dinner party tomorrow night. We have an odd number, so I'm calling to ask if you would care to join us."

It isn't quite a question, though it's phrased that way and her language is so formal it almost makes him uncomfortable and he's the king of over-formality.

"I would be delighted," he replies and wonders if it's a trap.

"We'll all be demons," she says, as if reading his mind. "If your friends aren't busy you could invite them as well, but make sure we'll have an even number."

Kuwabara and Yukina, he thinks in a flash, to make him feel more secure and less likely to be ambushed. Or maybe to clear the lot of them out of Tokyo in one go. Or maybe so that he won't feel overwhelmed by meeting her friends and many new people. There are plenty of possibilities, most of them bad, and it all comes down to how much he trusts her and how much he's willing to risk.

"I'll ask them. Thank you for extending the invitation."

She laughs and the sound helps brush away some of his fears. "It's no problem, I have plenty of room. Get a pencil so I can tell you my address."

He reaches automatically for the pad of paper he keeps in his bag and then pauses.

"Your address? To your home?"

If it's true, then she's trusting him farther than most demons would, even after a date or two. It's not that they couldn't easily figure out where the other lived, it's the act of sharing such dangerous information. Home is where you sleep and everyone has to sleep at some point.

"Yes," she drawls. "Ready? And then she rattles off the address and the nearest metro stop. "Let me know tomorrow if it's just you."

"Yes. Of course. Thank you."

A slight giggle is her only answer and then the phone is dead. For a second Kurama is left staring and thinking. She has only sent him a few texts since the disastrous kiss, but she hasn't been ignoring him. He puts away the phone and walks into the library, finding the girls claiming a table. Kurama takes his seat and drops the pad of paper before him, still trying to calculate the likelihood it's a trap.

"And who was that, Shuichi?" Ayame leans over the library table and examines the address he's written down.

"A young woman."

"A _girlfriend_?" Sakura puts far too much emphasis on the word and he frowns.

"No." He sees their expressions and smiles faintly. "At least, not yet."

"_Ohhh_," they chorus.

"And she's having you over for dinner?"

"She's having a dinner party and I'm invited."

"A dinner party for two!" Ayame laughs.

At this point, Kurama thinks, that might be even worse than an ambush.

* * *

Free food and a chance to actually meet the mystery demon, Kuwabara can't resist. Kurama even warns him it might be a trap but the human is already so fixated on the idea of a demon dinner party, he waves this away.

"I'd like to meet some other demons in the city," Yukina says suddenly and Kurama shakes his head at their use of the speakerphone; they're getting worse than Yusuke and Keiko.

"It's settled!" Kuwabara exclaims. "Just tell us where to meet you."

"Jin and Shizuru?" Kurama asks. He doesn't think he's supposed to bring everyone, but Chouko didn't specify.

"Shizuru went home and Jin took the train with her to go harass Urameshi for a few days."

Relieved, Kurama tells them he'll see them tomorrow and hangs up the phone. One way or another he expects it to be an informative dinner.

They meet at the metro station and Kurama hates that he feels anything resembling nervousness about this. He should be more confident in his ability to fight, and in Kuwabara, should things go south. But, as they follow Chouko's directions, Kurama realizes he isn't worried about fighting his way out of an ambush. The realization only makes him more irritated with himself.

They turn down a side street only wide enough for a single car to get through. Her building is about a block down, it's small and neat, five stories tall with plants hanging over the edges of the fifth floor balcony. Kurama also spots what looks like a small greenhouse up there. There's a flower shop on the ground floor, with a neon sign in a bubbly font. They enter the small side door and find the elevator just ahead.

Kurama can't help bristling slightly as they wait. The whole hall smells of different demons and he can feel repressed auras overhead. It's enough to set anyone on edge and he can see Yukina has settled into the unnatural stillness she gets when she's waiting for something to happen. On the other hand, Kuwabara is oblivious, which is actually a good sign. If there were an ambush ahead, he'd be sweating and twitching. They take the elevator to the fourth floor and it lets them out into a short hallway with a single door — which opens as they approach.

Chouko's smile seems genuine. Kurama notices her expensive silk blouse and string of pearls and feels underdressed. Yukina is in full kimono so she's fine, but they'd barely managed to get Kuwabara into a decent shirt. Kurama realizes he's fretting about making a bad impression on her friends and is so put out with himself he almost muddles the introductions, but no one notices. It's been more years than he can count since he felt this sort of anxiety. They all bow politely, but Kurama thinks Kuwabara is staring too much and elbows him when Chouko goes to lead them down the hall. She looks good in pants too and when Kurama accidentally catches Kuwabara's eye, the human grins and elbows him back. It's not appreciated.

"You own the building?" Kurama says as they start down a hallway that runs the length of the building. Windows along the left wall let in plenty of light and are lined up with the doorways to the right. A set of prints from Hiroshige's _One Hundred Famous Views of Edo_ line the walls. Kurama can smell that they're originals, just from scents of the paper and ink hanging in the air.

"What gave me away?" She sounds amused and glances back.

"The flower shop and the penthouse." He quirks an eyebrow at her. "The elevator doesn't go up to the fifth floor."

"Well no, I wouldn't want people going straight up to my bedroom," she giggles and nods at a door to the right. "I've even hidden the stairs."

The fact that she's just pointed them out confuses Kurama slightly. The next doorway is open and Chouko steps through into a large living room. There are four other people already present, all demons, standing around the counter dividing living room from kitchen and chatting. Kurama's eyes settle immediately on Jiro and he wonders how this is going to go.

"Here, let me introduce you all," Chouko says and the demons in the room put down their glasses. Chouko gestures first to a woman who looks like she's in her early thirties and is on the rounder side of what's fashionable now. She's dressed in slacks and a bright red blouse and smiling like she's pleased to see them all.

"This is Omasu-san, and her husband," Chouko indicates the man next to her, "Shibaemon-san."

He's grinning and a bit red in the cheeks already, with slicked-back hair and something of a used-car salesman's overeager vibe. He outdoes the brightness of his wife's shirt with the huge hibiscus print on his. These, Kurama decides, must by the Shinjuku tanuki. They're doing an impressive job of not smelling like tanuki though.

Then Chouko introduces Jiro, who's once again in a suit and looks completely at ease leaning against the counter and holding a martini glass. Last, Chouko introduces another woman, who looks about Keiko's height and age, is wearing a black sheath-dress, and seems completely bored with the proceedings. Kurama assumes she's another bird, if not a second tengu.

"And this is Rin."

Next Chouko introduces Yukina and Kuwabara. Kurama is last and he realizes that the order of precedence here is based on their arrival in Tokyo, not power levels or wealth or some typical measure like that. They all say their polite greetings and Kuwabara seems to be at a loss for words, a rare occurrence indeed. Kurama knows his friend is a bit overwhelmed by the idea of being in a room with so many new demons, all of whom are presumably as powerful as Toguro if not more so. But Chouko doesn't let a pause fall in the conversation.

"Yukina-chan, what can I get you to drink? Kuwabara-kun, Shuichi, might I suggest the scotch Mo has?"

Yukina follows Chouko around the counter, murmuring something, while Kurama tries not to laugh at her nickname for the tanuki. He also finds her use of his human name amusing if a bit strange.

"It's good stuff, _almost_ as good as the Japanese whiskey I bought her for her birthday," the tanuki chortles. "And that's the reason we've still got the scotch!"

He pours two glasses neat and hands them over.

"Cheers, fellows!"

Kurama and Kuwabara clink glasses with the tanuki and take a drink. It goes down smooth and reminds Kurama of the old days when he would occasionally steal something this fine and revel in the fact that he hadn't had to spend thirty years making it.

"Wow!" Kuwabara stares at the liquid in amazement. "I've never had anything so smooth!"

"I suppose it's decent," Mo says, "but nothing like the ones in my collection!"

"Hey, don't insult my drinks!" Chouko calls across the counter.

She's pouring sparkling wine into a glass full of strawberries for Yukina. Kurama desperately hopes that no one ever tells Hiei he was present when Yukina got drunk because he thinks that's exactly where this evening is headed.

Omasu starts telling Kuwabara about the time she masqueraded as one of the shogun's retainers in a parade while her husband interjects and corrects her and she slaps him. Kurama smiles and listens to the story while always keeping one ear on Yukina's conversation. He can't help it, he would want them all to do the same for Shiori, to always have an eye out for signs of danger, and he knows Hiei will ask—whenever he shows up next. And after he's done berating Kurama for taking Yukina somewhere full of unknown demons.

"Can you both shapeshift?" Kuwabara asks once Omasu's finished laughing at her own story.

"Of course! We're the best in Japan."

"He's being generous—to himself," Omasu proclaims. "I'm the best shapeshifter by far. He's second."

"I was being generous to you, wife, because I'm the best in Japan!"

Even powerful tanuki are still ridiculous creatures, Kurama thinks.

"Ha! Let's have a contest. Kuwabara will be the judge!"

"Oh a contest," Mo rubs his hands together and licks his lips. "Prepare to be annihilated, dearest!"

Both tanuki turn to Kuwabara with expectant looks.

"Uh-um, what're the rules?"

"You shout out something."

"We change into it."

"You decide who did it better."

"Ugh," Jiro rolls his eyes and swirls his drink, "not this again."

But everyone else seems fairly enthusiastic, and Chouko is grinning. Kuwabara rubs his chin for a moment and looks around the room for inspiration.

"Ok, turn into a chair!"

There are two puffs of smoke and then right where the tanuki had been, stand two identical armchairs. Kurama notices with some amusement that they're also identical to the chair behind Kuwabara.

Kuwabara scratches his head and looks between the chairs, frowning. "Um, tie, I guess?"

"You have to pick something they're not both looking at, Kuwabara," Chouko says.

"How about a mug?"

There's two more puffs of smoke followed by a rattle of porcelain and applause from Yukina. Kurama has to admit he's impressed: not only have they condensed themselves into appropriately sized drinkware, they went different routes. Omasu has become a dainty porcelain coffee mug while Shibaemon has turned into a beer stein, complete with lid.

"Oh Mo-san definitely," Kuwabara says.

"Turn into rocks!" Rin calls, finally looking like she's not just suffering through everyone else's presence.

More puffs and then Mo is a granite boulder, half covered in moss while Omasu has become a neat cairn of rocks that reaches waist height. You could walk past either one on the side of the road and be completely convinced that they were absolutely real and ordinary.

"Oh, she differentiated," Chouko says, leaning over the counter. Kurama does a good job of not looking down her shirt.

"Yeah, they're both cool, but that wins," Kuwabara says, leaning forward to peer at them.

"This could go on all night." Jiro sounds a bit peevish and Chouko hits him with a dishtowel.

Just then a buzzer rings. Chouko claps her hands and smiles; it's an expression Kurama is growing increasingly fond of. She catches his eye and for a second the smile is only for him, then she turns and the moment is gone.

"Everyone, the food is ready!"

The tanuki pop back into form.

"Finally, I'm starving!" Shibaemon proclaims, clapping both hands over a round stomach.

"I don't know how that's true, Mo, since you ate all the snacks before anyone else got here."

"Chouko, that was an hour ago!"

In response Chouko hefts a covered plate over the counter and into Mo's hands.

"Try not to eat it all before it reaches the table."

"I'll try, but I make no promises."

Chouko grins while the tanuki just chuckles to himself.

"You all are so comfortable together, I don't think I've ever seen this many demons go so long without a fight," Kuwabara says suddenly. All the demons in the room, besides Kurama, laugh.

"Well we've all known each other a long time," Omasu says as she takes a plate from Chouko. "About five hundred years."

Kuwabara's mouth drops open and Kurama forces a grim smile. Most of the people he's known that long he's killed, or tried to kill. And while he can sit down to a meal with Yomi, it's not something he does willingly or enjoys. There are no inside jokes or careless expressions.

"Of course, Chouko went wandering in between," Jiro says, and his eyes say a lot more, there's old pain and affection there and Kurama is still wondering how intense their relationship used to be if it's still like this.

"And Rin only shows up when she gets bored in the mountains," Mo adds while he heads for the door.

Rin shrugs. "Unlike you all I can't be around people all the time. Here, give me the fish."

Chouko makes a face but hands Rin a plate as well.

"I'll help!" Kuwabara proclaims. Chouko smiles and hands him a what looks to be the heaviest thing on the counter, a large earthenware bowl that's steaming. She's clearly figured Kuwabara out already because he grins and struts out of the room with it, following the tanuki and Rin.

Jiro sweeps up the teapot and what looks like a plate of dumplings and gives Kurama a look before striding away. Kurama does his best not to glare at the tengu's back but doesn't completely succeed.

"What can I take?" Yukina asks and receives a pitcher of ice water that's close to overflowing.

Somehow now it's just him and Chouko alone in the room. He wasn't planning this per say, but he has wanted to get her alone to apologize. Now seems to be the time for it.

"Don't just stand there staring, help me with the plates. I didn't count them out yet" Chouko says while uncovering something on the stove. Whatever it is it smells painfully spicy.

Kurama walks around the counter into the kitchen. They're only a few feet away but she isn't paying him any attention; she's picking out a ladle.

"He's protective of you," he says, trying to sound casual while counting out plates from the stack on the counter. He hadn't planned to say that. He hadn't meant to open with that. But it slipped out.

Chouko only smiles; then she catches his expression and laughs as she's pouring her whatever-it-is into another bowl. From what Kurama can see it looks red and soupy with large pieces of tofu. The smell is getting stronger as well.

"Yes. Yes, he is. Little brothers tend to be that way."

For a moment Kurama is lost, trying to make all the pieces fit, but they just won't take the right shapes. He supposes she could be a tengu, but she hasn't acted like one and the way she'd referred to Jiro before had been as a friend, not a sibling.

"Little brother-in-law, I guess I should say."

Kurama freezes as if caught in a trap. She'd mentioned previous human husbands, but not demon ones. Jiro's behavior makes far more sense now, especially if there's the possibility that Chouko's ex-husband from five hundred years ago might just show up at any point. And have a problem with what's going on.

* * *

_This dinner party certainly is going to be something else._


	20. Chapter 20

20

_nevvy: Haha, Chouko has a lot of sisters, but none of them are married to Jiro. Chouko certainly wouldn't allow it, and that only partially has to do with Jiro. Also some strawberries and blackberries in sparkling white wine is delicious...I promise I'm not a lush _

_Unita: Thanks so much! I occasionally go back and double check that "Immortal" hasn't been updated, it's so good and I wish I knew the ending/had more to read. I think that fact that Kurama is so old and also so young (human-wise) is what makes him such a fun character to write. _

_Hakudoshi-9: Thanks!_

* * *

Chouko arches an eyebrow at Kurama and tries to bite back a laugh. She fails but the sound is sharp and harsh, not rich like her normal giggle.

"Don't look so worried, Myōgibō is dead."

As she sighs and lifts the bowl Kurama tries his best to look apologetic and not relieved. He's not sure he succeeds. Chouko isn't really looking at him when she continues, her eyes have a glazed, distant look.

"He went out for a duel because he just **had** to see who was stronger. The answer was: not him." She shakes it off and casually bats at Kurama's hair as she passes. "Come on, fluffy. They're waiting."

Kurama grabs the plates and follows after her, thinking quickly. He doesn't particularly like 'fluffy' as a nickname. The room into which they step takes up the whole width of the building, with tall windows giving plenty of light, and is set up in the traditional-style. Tatami mats cover the floor and there are only a few low cabinets around the walls and a large round table in the middle of the room for furniture.

But oh the decorations! Kurama hasn't really wanted to steal anything for years, but if there were a place to bring back bad habits, this is it. The wall coverings are priceless: antique scroll paintings to one side and what looks unsettlingly like a real Rembrant just hanging opposite. And resting beneath it, under a glass dome, is a Xiongnu crown in solid gold. Kurama can't even look at the other people in the room while his eyes search for other treasures. There, beneath the TV, is an ancient Chinese bronze vessel for serving wine in the shape of an owl.

Catching his eye Chouko says, "I don't use it anymore, apparently it can give people lead poisoning."

"You are quite the collector," Kurama manages, still looking, while trying to follow her to the table. She takes the plates out of his hands and he hardly notices. There's some odd ceramic vessels on display on another cabinet, painted in bright reds with intricate lines shaping fantastic creatures.

"Mmm, I pick things up as I go. In fifty years I'll be able to put my first computer in a display case too."

"You've got a swanky place," Kuwabara says, apparently oblivious to true value and age of most of the objects in the room.

Jiro hides a laugh behind his hand. That brings Kurama's attention around again. There are two spots open at the table, nearly opposite each other, and Kurama wonders if her friends have separated them on purpose. He wouldn't put it past Jiro, who's looking a bit too pleased as Chouko sits down beside him. Kurama takes the last place. To his left sit Rin, Mo, and then Chouko. To his right it's Omasu, Kuwabara, and Yukina. Jiro is directly across from him and Kurama can only foresee trouble with the tengu.

Kurama realizes he's siting down to dinner with a cabal of the most powerful demons in Tokyo, the five ward leaders considered to have final say in the city; and that by inviting him, Chouko has vouched for him. This could be considered an interview. Kuwabara and Yukina are character witnesses. But what's to be decided?

Unless it's just dinner. But Kurama thinks there's no way Chouko could have just thought of this as a fun dinner party.

"Let's eat!" Mo calls, hand already reaching for the nearest plate. They all chime in and there's a slight frenzy as everyone makes a grab for something. Kurama sits back and waits, taking time to watch them all. The tanuki are both aggressive, while Rin has cornered the fish and is using her chopsticks to fend off Mo. Kuwabara keeps trying to offer Yukina different things. Jiro is tossing dumplings onto his plate, his long arms letting him reach right over everyone else. And Chouko pours sake and subtly passes the glasses around the table.

Not a single dish has meat in it. But there is fish. It's an interesting observation but he's not completely sure what to make of it yet.

"A toast," Mo calls, once the sake reaches everyone.

Kuwabara's more than happy to hold up his glass, and Kurama wonders at his own hesitation in joining in. Maybe it's too much of the past coming back.

"To new friends!" the tanuki proclaims.

Kuwbara grins and Yukina looks fairly pleased but Kurama's still waiting for the trap even as he's clinking glasses with the others. But the anxiety passes as Kuwabara and Mo race to finish their cups but Rin beats them to it. They all demand refills and Chouko pours another round.

"To whoever gets stuck washing all these dishes," Rin calls for the next toast.

They all laugh and Kurama can't help feeling something like contentment. There's just something about being around other demons but not having his life under imminent threat that's pleasant. It's different than being around humans, even ones that know. It's been something he's been trying to convince himself for years that he doesn't need. Apparently that hasn't worked so well.

Over the next two hours they work through the food and several bottle of sake. At one point Kuwabara goes to raise another toast, finds his glass already empty, and then slowly keels over backwards, which sends Yukina into an uncontrollable fit of giggles. That seems to be the sign. The atmosphere in the room shifts and Kurama can feel it even though they keep joking and drinking. He tenses, knowing that he should have never let the others drink so much. He's not sure he can protect them, even though he's been trying not to get drunk. Somehow, he's still managed to have a few too many and the world blurs around the edges and keeps moving at different speeds.

"Look, I wanted to ask you something," Mo says in an overloud whisper as he scoots closer to Kurama. Rin has moved across from them now, to where she's wedged herself between Jiro and Chouko. She has one arm around each of them and is talking intently. Still, Kurama knows they're all really listening to his conversation.

"King Urameshi isn't planning on moving to Tokyo too, is he?" The tanuki is smiling, red-faced like an imp, but Kurama doesn't underestimate the importance of the question for a moment.

"No. He's quite pleased where he is and his fiancee is in school there. But with Kuwabara-kun and I both living here it's quite likely he'll visit." He pauses and watches the way all their faces stay exactly the same. "I hope that won't trouble anyone. If it would be a problem I can discourage him."

"Oh no," Jiro is smooth and calm, unflappable even in this state, though he has given up the pretense of not listening in. "We wouldn't want to stop the great peacemaker from visiting, you mustn't think us so rude!"

The tanuki don't look like they agree. Kurama thinks he spots the problem.

"He'd stay with me of course; Kuwabara and Yukina's apartment is too small."

The demons' faces all clear slightly and the atmosphere relaxes again. Kurama catches Yukina's eye and she smiles faintly. This isn't something they're going to be telling Kuwabara about.

Everyone keeps chatting and drinking. Kuwabara is out cold, he just can't compete with demons' metabolisms. At some point dessert appears and Mo asks to switch places with Kurama so he can talk to his wife. The fox shifts out of way and tries to eat a red bean roll but can't quite. He's next to Chouko now and should be pleased, but he doesn't like how many people are between him and Yukina. Kurama can't protect her like this. She smiles across the table at him, completely unaware, and keeps talking to the tanuki.

A hand lands on Kurama's knee. His gaze follows the hand up the arm and up to Chouko's face. He doesn't exactly know what to think as she leans towards him and all he can smell is tangerines.

"She's a big girl," she whispers in his ear and it's low enough that the others won't hear, "and I'm not the kind of person who'd drag a little innocent like that into a dangerous situation."

Kurama can feel himself flush. He hadn't thought he was being so obvious and he doesn't know what to say.

"I—"

Chouko taps his knee and smiles.

"You are a suspicious old fox and I'm surprised you even showed up, let alone brought your friends into the lions' den."

"Curiosity has always been one of my weaknesses."

"Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back," she laughs. The phrase is in English and Kurama recognizes the first half from something Kaito said once. The second half is new to him. It's an interesting idea.

The other conversations begin to die down and the atmosphere shifts again. If Chouko's words had been reassuring all of that is gone now. There are too many pairs of strange eyes turning in his direction.

"I think now it's time for our talk," Chouko says to the table. "No offense to Kuwabara-kun, but this is demon business and I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell him about it."

"Of course," Yukina says and Kurama's heart sinks. He isn't sure what's coming when Chouko turns to him and he hates not being able to guess.

"Kurama, I want you to tell them what you told me."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand," he says with a sinking feeling that he knows exactly what she's talking about.

"What Shimoda told you."

The feeling turns out to be more than justified. He casts an eye over the other demons at the table, weighing his options. Then he looks at Chouko. Her face is determined and she's watching him expectantly. She knows and she's probably already told them, so he has nothing to loose by repeating it, while not telling them could prove dangerous to his health. Kurama relates the main points and watches the others for their reactions. Both tanuki look worried while the tengu frown and clasp hands. Yukina watches them all while doing her best not to show what she's thinking. She's too good at it.

"And Shimoda told you this?"

"Yes," Kurama says slowly. He hopes his source isn't in danger.

"He's usually good," Rin says after a moment.

"It's the same thing I've been hearing from my people," Mo sighs and puts an arm around his wife. "I don't like it."

"No, me neither, but there's nothing to go on except whispers." Jiro keeps one hand on Rin's while swirling his sake cup with the other.

"We can't let it get out of hand again," Chouko says and Kurama can see them all shift their attention to her. Clearly they're used to listening to her. "As soon as we find anything out we must track down this threat and eliminate it."

Kurama's surprised by the intensity in her voice and the glint in her eyes. For someone who keeps saying she hates fighting, it's a surprisingly aggressive stance. But then, she's also said she doesn't react well to being threatened. The others nod in agreement.

"We can't let it happen again," Omasu speaks up.

"Chouko," Jiro says, an odd inflection in his voice. "What else do you know?"

The others look startled and everyone stares at her. She lifts the sake bottle and refills Kurama's cup, then her own. Her hands don't shake but the carefully controlled motions speak volumes. She sets down the bottle and her eyes flick around the circle of faces, their brown depths unreadable.

"Nerima is missing."

There's a crash as Mo's cup hits on the floor. He doesn't even make a move to clean up the sake spilled across the tatami. Everyone is staring at Chouko with open mouths, except for Kurama and Yukina, who are trying to keep up.

"Since when?"

"Tuesday," she replies and takes a sip of sake. "Only two days, I know, but it isn't normal for him to ever go off without telling anyone."

"And we can't investigate until a week has passed." The tanuki sounds pained, and he wrings his hands. "Why did we ever come up with such a stupid rule?"

"It's not stupid, it's a reasonable time frame," Rin snaps. "We don't all have time to check in every other day. He probably just went to the demon world to blow off some steam for a bit. Calm down."

"That may be true, but I can tell you he went to work like normal on Tuesday, left work at the normal time, and never arrived home. I got the call that night."

Everyone nods like this is completely normal but it makes Kurama wonder if Chouko is keeping tabs on the comings and goings of every important demon in Tokyo. It would surprise him even though it shouldn't. There's just something about her that makes that level of obsessive observation seem out of place.

"And Mia?" Jiro asks. Even Kurama can see that the tengu is doing his best not to seem agitated.

Chouko reaches out and pats his hand.

"She's fine, but she knows something is wrong." Chouko shakes her head and her hair goes flying. "I'm an old woman and these things bother me."

"The bother us all," Omasu says.

"Next Tuesday you'll go." It isn't a question from Mo, which Kurama also finds odd.

"Yes, I'll take this one."

The conversation ends there but everything else is more subdued afterwards, even when they go back to joking. Kuwbara finally comes around and after the demons have spent a good fifteen minutes ribbing him they begin to take their leave.

Yukina and Chouko administer copious quantities of water to Kuwabara and continue the teasing. Kurama quietly takes a stack of dishes into the kitchen and washes them. He's thinking and the noise of the water helps him concentrate.

"What are you doing?"

Kurama jumps at the sound and finds Chouko right behind him. She has the empty water pitcher in one hand, a stack of plates in the other, and is frowning.

"I was just helping wash up," he says, all too aware of how close they are.

Chouko tilts her head and eyes him like she doesn't believe a word of it.

"Something's wrong. What's the matter?"

Kurama goes back to washing. The wrong words slip out of his mouth despite his best efforts to keep them in.

"You, what's the phrase, 'threw me under the bus' in there."

"Your pronunciation's not half-bad," she says, dropping the plates on the counter beside him so they rattle together. Her voice is controlled with an edge of anger. "I didn't throw you under any bus, I gave you an opportunity and a choice. I thought you made the right one."

"It didn't seem like I had much of a choice."

"You could have said that you didn't want to share that information and then we would have had our discussion after you left. I know you think we're barbarians like the demons you normally associate with, but I don't harm guests and I don't steal informants with bloodshed—or the threat of it. I have plenty of my own sources."

Kurama turns off the water and slowly faces her. He's keeping his irritation in check but he can't stop it from showing.

"Barbarians—is that how you think of me?"

"I'm undecided," she replies and plants her hands on her hips. "Your reputation says yes for the most part. And you act like everyone else is poised to attack, which makes me think that you are."

"And how would you have me act? Blindly give my trust to a cadre of demons I don't know, one of whom made a special effort to threaten me at school this week?"

"That's not what I'm saying at all. _I _don't fully trust any of them. The tanuki may be my old friends, but they're tricksters to the core and they always put their own interests before anyone else's. Rin comes and goes and does what she pleases. The only person here she'd ever bother herself to help is Jiro, and that's only when they're on good terms. Jiro and I might be as close as family but that doesn't mean a lot to demons and we almost always disagree about the best course of action.

"We may not trust each other or even always like each other, but we share information. We recognize we're stronger working together. I'm saying you need to reorganize how you think about other demons up here," she taps him on the forehead, "if you want to do well in the human world. You've made it to the big leagues, fox, and we work differently than the street trash and mercenaries. We don't prove ourselves in battle."

He pulls her hand away from his face and they stare at each other for a moment, stalemated. Kurama has to make a decision.

"Chouko, I'm old and I don't change very easily."

"Flexibility is a key to staying alive, Shuichi, otherwise one day you just won't see the point of going on."

This strikes a chord deep inside him and resonates uncomfortably. The boredom, the routine of trying to be a normal human...Shiori had been right, it had been getting to him. Some days he just didn't know what he was doing with his life. And now—now he's in the thick of it again and he finally feels like he's living.

"The only person I'm suggesting you trust is me," Chouko laughs. "The buses I throw you under are for your own good."

She goes to pull her hand free and step away but Kurama holds onto her. Her eyes are unexplored depths and he wants to know all of her secrets. Chouko smiles faintly.

"You could stay tonight," she says and Kurama feels like the world is spinning out of control.

"You've been drinking."

"So have you," she says with a smile.

"I have to make sure Kuwabara and Yukina get home." It sounds like a weak excuse even to him, so he adds: "It's a bad idea."

"Probably." Chouko shrugs and flicks a hand through the air. "I seem to have an affinity for bad ideas."

She pulls her hand free and chuckles to herself as she walks away. Kurama watches her go and hates himself for saying no, and hates the part of him that desperately wanted to say yes.


	21. Chapter 21

21

_Guys, did the last chapter suck? Please let me know if you think people are getting OOC or if the plot is wandering or not making sense! When I don't get any feedback at all I worry that I've majorly screwed something up._

* * *

As Kurama steps into the elevator, Yukina shakes her head. Kuwabara manages to contain himself until the doors close, then he explodes. He's rallied remarkably well after his unintended nap.

"What are you doing with us, Kurama?"

"Leaving, clearly," Kurama snaps, not that he means to.

"Jeeze, don't you like her?"

"What do you mean?"

"Kurama-kun," Yukina says, "Chouko-san clearly was interested in you staying longer."

Kurama doesn't grind his teeth, but he'd like to. "Yes," he says as they reach the ground floor and step out. "I realized that, but it isn't a good idea. It's not—" He searches for the right word while Kuwabara just shakes his head.

"Safe?" Yukina offers.

"Possibly."

"What," Kuwabara snorts, "were you worried she was gonna roofie you?"

Kurama is not amused.

He walks them home and helps Yukina get Kuwabara inside and into bed. The human had been doing ok, until about halfway home, when the early hangover kicked in and things got unpleasant. Yukina starts making tea while Kurama convinces Kuwabara just to sleep it off. Then he goes and sits with the ice demon as they nurse their steaming mugs. Yukina is clearly mulling through the evening, though it's taking her longer than normal and from the excessive number of tea leaves in the pot Kurama can tell the sake hit her harder than it seemed at first.

"The demons here are quite interesting," she says when it's time for a second cup.

"Agreed."

They think it over in silence, and then Kurama takes his leave. On his way out Kurama takes a moment to place a few seeds by their windows and front door and watches his little sentinels sprout. Some old habits are worth keeping, he thinks, as he takes to the roofs to run home.

* * *

Kurama floats for the next few days, gliding through his classes and then dinner with Kaito and Miyuki. They all get only a fraction of his attention. Exams are about to start and he outlines his notes and creates study guides, not because he needs them but because it's a simple task he finds reassuring while he thinking about things that are less so. He has decisions to make. Major, serious decisions that will affect everything. He chats with his mother on the phone about his semester, and then calls Yusuke to remind him to take care of her. Yusuke tells him to take care of Kuwabara and Kurama doesn't mention the dinner party.

Tuesday arrives.

Getting onto the roof is simple and it's a short jump down to the balcony he wants. The sliding glass door on the fifth floor balcony is locked, but there's a spider plant hanging inside. It hardly takes any effort at all to have the plant grow over and unlock the door for him. Kurama steps inside and has the plant close and lock the door behind him. He's pushing limits and taking a leap here. He can't be sure what will happen and that makes him feel alive.

Chouko's bedroom is large and sunny with windows on three sides giving views of the city. The fourth wall has a few doors in it, one out to a hallway, and two onto a walk-in closet. These lie open and Kurama can see the array of colors from all of Chouko's clothes. There isn't much in the way of furniture: a large bed with a bright green comforter, a long dresser, a few low cabinets, and an oversized chair next to a standing lamp. It looks like it's meant for reading but there are no books in sight. The walls, however, are covered. Everywhere that isn't a window is densely packed with all kinds of pictures, from photographs to paintings. They're so close together in many places that the frames are touching. Given her obsession with technology and her phone he shouldn't be surprised by the photos, but Kurama wouldn't want this many pairs of eyes watching him sleep.

There's a painting of a family in 18th century European clothing above the armchair and Kurama steps closer. The woman in the picture is blonde and buxom but has familiar brown eyes. The children in the painting have similar eyes but dark hair. Kurama's eyes travel sideways, caught by the black and white photograph beside the painting. It's the same blonde woman, with Chouko's eyes, standing in a group of people in Paris (he can tell by the base of the Eiffel Tower in the background). They're all laughing and she's waving a cigarette holder above everyone's heads, a familiar smile on a rounder face in a picture that looks like it was taken in the 1950s.

There's a sound from the hallway and Kurama jumps. He manages to get his expression under control by the time the door swings open.

"It wasn't a standing offer, Kurama," Chouko says from the doorway and crosses her arms.

He can't help a chuckle. "No, I didn't think it was. I didn't think it was an offer that would even last the night."

She scoffs and steps over the threshold but he can read the nervousness in her posture and the way she moves.

"Then might I ask why you're breaking into my bedroom this fine Tuesday morning?"

She's wearing jeans and a t-shirt and there's a smudge of dirt on her knee. It's the least formal he's seen her dress and he's curious about it.

"I'm testing what security you have in place. Apparently none."

Her eyes narrow but her face is just not made to be threatening.

"I don't need any security."

Kurama spreads his hands and Chouko glares and taps her foot in response.

"Most people aren't stupid enough to break in. In the twenty years I've lived here, in fact, you're the **only** person who's ever broken in."

"I'd like to put some of my plants on your balcony," he says. He's made a decision and now he's going to act on it.

Chouko's face would be hilarious to watch, if only the expressions were directed at someone else. She goes from perplexed, to horrified, to angry in under two seconds.

"That's absurd. Leave my house at once."

Kurama steps toward her, hoping he can explain before she really gets upset. She takes a step backwards, going fully into defensive mode. Kurama has to stop and remind himself that she needs room or she panics.

"Chouko, the fact that you have no measures in place to stop any demons from finding you or entering your house concerns me—as an ally. I'd like to help."

"No thanks," she says and storms into her closet.

Kurama almost follows, but then he hears the sound of a zipper and freezes. He can't quite believe that she's undressing in there while he's standing right there. Two steps to his right and he could see right into the closet. He hears fabric hit the floor and swallows. It seems she doesn't care.

"You're not putting any of your little monster plants on my roof, or my balcony, or in my house," Chouko says from the closet. "And if I find you've already planted some, we're going to have a very serious chat."

He hears something else hit the floor and assumes it's her shirt. Kurama closes his eyes and tries not to think about it.

"But I—"

"No. End of discussion. I'm perfectly capable of protecting my own house in my own way." There's a pause and Kurama keeps trying not to think about the fact that she's standing a few feet away in her underwear. "But I appreciate the offer, I guess. Or I would if it wasn't so terrifying."

"I only have the best intentions," Kurama says, opening his eyes and looking away from the closet doors. He tries to focus on the pictures on the wall and keeps seeing Chouko smiling and waving through the decades. There's one of her and Jiro, clearly from the 1980s based on the hair, at the top of the Tokyo Tower with two surly-looking kids between them.

The sound of a perfume bottle breaks the following silence and then the smell of tangerines floods the room.

"Why tangerines?" Kurama asks, hoping a change of topic will make her less angry.

"I love the smell," she replies, finally sounding less annoyed. "I'd roll in them if I could, but that's too sticky."

It sort of sounds like she tried it. Kurama bites back a comment and sweeps the room again, more carefully, looking for anything she may be hiding. The sound of a different zipper makes him think she's putting clothes back on. It's a relief.

"Since you're here, you may as well save me a trip back into the store."

Chouko steps out of the closet in a grey sheath dress, sweeping her hair over her shoulder.

"Here," she says, turning her back to him, "hook me in." She taps the top of her zipper and he pulls his eyes away from the nape of her neck.

"Of course."

Kurama steps forward and finds a small hidden hook and eye latch at the top of the dress. His fingers brush her back as he connects the hook. He wishes he was helping her unhook it and hates himself for the thought.

She's taunting him.

It's working.

"Thanks." Chouko tosses her hair back over her shoulder and smiles at him. "Now get out."

"You're going to investigate the disappearance of the demon from Nerima. I'd like to come with you."

"No, I don't think that's a good idea."

She picks up a purse and selects a pair of shoes from one of the racks inside the closet then glances back at him expectantly. Kurama doesn't move. Chouko purses her lips at him but seems to come to a decision. Without another word she leaves the room. Kurama follows her into the hall and down a narrow staircase. He feels bad about walking through her house in street shoes, but she doesn't seem to notice.

"Nothing for almost a week and then you just walk in and expect to follow me around," Chouko says, headed for the front door.

"I was considering the situation."

The look she shoots him over her shoulder makes him think he's miscalculated with her again. She pauses to slip on the heels in the entranceway and then throws open the door.

"And what were you considering?"

Kurama steps through after her and trails Chouko to the elevator. It's not the easiest question to answer. Not when he doesn't know her and when she has certain human traits he doesn't always expect.

"I was considering how involved I'm getting in demon affairs here and how much risk that carries for the people I care about."

Chouko taps her lips and stares at the elevator ceiling as they glide toward the ground floor.

"Fair enough. And you decided it was worth the risk?"

He smiles slightly. "You could say I decided most of my friends are adept at protecting themselves. I also decided that you're not the kind of person to tolerate indirect attacks."

"We don't involve family or runners in our disagreements," Chouko says as the elevator dings and the doors slide open. "But you never know what someone who's trying to claw their way up the food-chain might do. Now I'm off. Perhaps this week you can try texting my like a normal person?"

"I'm coming with you, Chouko."

Chouko rolls her eyes and heads for the metro. Kurama follows her to the train station and onto the train. Chouko glares at him as they switch lines and he follows her again. She won't talk to him but he doesn't plan to give up.

* * *

Questions Kurama should have considered before breaking and entering:

1. What's on the second and third floors of Chouko's building?

2. What's in the basement?

3. Is it possible she's some sort of spider demon who eats her husbands?

Though, only the answers to 1 and 2 are likely to bother him.

Also, next chapter Hiei comes back for a bit.


	22. Chapter 22

22

_Sorry about the delay guys, the manfriend and I took a 1,400 mile road trip this past week and internet was spotty. On the plus side, we didn't kill each other!_

_ Thanks for all of the reviews on the last chapter! I really appreciate it!_

* * *

Chouko jumps out of her seat and rushes off the train. Kurama doesn't know if she actually thinks that is enough to lose him or if she's just showing her annoyance. He catches up to her on the escalator.

"You're still here," Chouko says. Her knuckles are white on the railing. The tension she's radiating only makes him more curious. He wonders if she wants to keep him from finding out the source of her information.

Kurama crosses his arms and stares at her.

"You're not coming with me, Shuichi-kun."

"It might be a trap. Given what we know, I don't think it's safe for you to go alone."

"I can take care of myself," Chouko snaps and Kurama's taken aback.

"Chouko," he says, uncrossing his arms and moving up a stair towards her, "I know you can, but I will worry the whole time if I'm not there."

"You're a worrier, aren't you?" she says, rolling her eyes as they reach the top and head for the doors.

"I suppose when one always plans for the worst possible outcome it can lead to a bit more worrying than normal."

"You didn't actually think I'd let you leave your plants at my house, did you?"

Kurama chuckles and she relaxes slightly.

"No self-respecting demon of your age would tolerate it," he says, "but I had to offer."

"Well, that restores some of my faith in your sanity, Shuichi."

Kurama follows her out of the station and into the sunlight. Chouko walks for a short distance before sighing loudly and turning to face him.

"Fine, you can—"

There's a sudden blur and a spike of new energy. Hiei appears beside Kurama and Chouko goes from resigned to furious in under a second.

"Did you call him here to watch me?" she demands.

Hiei looks her over and seems to decide that she wouldn't be a worthless opponent. It's a rather high level of regard from him.

"Mukuro said you were getting yourself into something dangerous and stupid. I see she was right."

Chouko huffs and starts walking away. Kurama thinks he should appreciate the sentiment behind Hiei and Mukuro's concern, but he never appreciates the ways they find to express it.

"I could have said the same thing about you," Kurama replies, following Chouko. He knows Hiei will keep up.

The smaller demon scoffs. "You're getting mixed up with these human world demons. I thought you wanted to live as a human, not play demon in the human world."

"Hiei, I am living as a human, but I can't help that I will always be a demon and other demons will always be aware of me. It would be idiocy to ignore them."

Hiei grunts in agreement. There's still something he doesn't like but he's not about to come out and say it. Especially not in front of one of the people he's warning Kurama about.

"Do you approve of the plants?" Kurama asks. "They'll keep out any demon who isn't one of us."

"The oaf will notice them eventually. Then he'll be offended you're protecting them."

"I think you're underestimating the lengths Kuwabara will go to to protect Yukina."

Hiei grunts again. The odd thing is he doesn't disappear.

They follow Chouko for a few more minutes down increasingly winding and residential streets, the small houses packed tightly together around their narrow lanes. Just when Kurama is starting to suspect that Hiei is getting bored, Chouko turns on them. The look on her face is the most serious Kurama's ever seen it.

"Ok, you two can come along, but you have to behave yourselves." Hiei looks mildly offended and his expression only darkens when Chouko fixes on him. "You both have to be nice."

Without waiting for a response, she turns back around and walks up the sidewalk to a small two-story house. Kurama can smell the traces of a demon in the area but they're fading and he clearly hasn't been there for several days.

Chouko knocks and Kurama and Hiei stand behind her, waiting to see what lays ahead. It takes a few moments before they hear someone turning the latch. A human man in his mid-40s opens the door. He's carefully dressed and well-groomed, but all that's a blur because the moment he sees Chouko, he bursts into tears and throws himself at her. She lets him embrace and cling to her and both of the other demons are startled when she starts makes soothing noises.

Kurama and Hiei exchange a glance.

"Come on, sweetie, let's go inside," Chouko says after an uncomfortably long moment.

Half-leading, half-dragging the crying man, she maneuvers inside, nodding for Kurama and Hiei to follow. They do and Kurama makes sure to close the front door. The neighbors don't need to see this. Chouko somehow kicked off her shoes and is doing an awkward sideways scuttle toward what Kurama assumes is the kitchen. Hiei, of course, is already investigating the living room and estimating the value of its contents.

Kurama follows Chouko slowly. He can make out some of what the man is saying as he weeps, mostly it's "gone, gone," and "dead somewhere." It makes him uncomfortable to witness and now he can see why Chouko tried to keep him away. Watching this is like punishment for his insistence. She gets the man into a chair at the kitchen table and he wraps his arms around her stomach and buries his face in her midsection. It's a perplexing, childlike action here—from this adult human toward a demon woman. For a moment Kurama thinks the man might be her son, but that would make him half-demon and he would smell something like Chouko, but he doesn't.

Hiei is beside him suddenly and his eyes narrow at the sight. Kurama can guess some of what he's thinking and none of it is flattering. Chouko lets the man cry a little more before finally detaching herself and turing on the electric kettle on the counter.

"I'll make us some tea, sweetie," she says. She opens the cupboards like she already knows her way around, taking out a teapot and cups, and Kurama's mind is racing through possibilities.

The man pulls himself together, sniffling back his tears. He stares down at the table, apparently oblivious to the two demons watching him while Chouko spoons tea leaves into the pot.

A child's footsteps come pounding down the stairs and Kurama's startled as a little human girl tears toward him. She goes right past him and Hiei without a second glance. Chouko slides around the table quickly, blocking the man from the girl's view, then sweeping up the child and tossing her in the air.

"Granny, Granny! You're here!"

"That's right, here I am!"

Chouko smiles and swings the little girl through the air before plopping her on her hip and walking past Kurama into the living room. Hiei watches them with veiled interest.

"I love you! I missed you! Did you bring me any presents?"

"Presents?" Chouko bops the girl on the nose. "I never bring you presents!"

A fit of giggles follows this and Chouko sets the girl on the coffee table so they're closer to eye-level. The girl shifts from foot to foot, trying not to bounce up and down in excitement. Chouko puts a hand in her purse, a mischievous smile on her face, and then pulls it out, her fingers wrapped around something.

"You have to guess."

"A bird, a bird!"

Chouko grins, holds out her hand, and slowly opens her fingers. There's a flash of color and then a tiny buzz from fluttering mechanical wings. The bird swoops around the little girl's head before landing on her outstretched hand, leaving faint traces of youki in the air. She stares at it in wonder and Chouko leans forward to plant a kiss on the top of her head.

"These nice men would like to hear all about your toys, Mia, so why don't you tell them while I go talk to Daddy?"

"He cries everyday," the girl says in a small voice, still staring down at the bird. "Because Papa isn't coming home."

"Hush now, that's no way to talk."

Chouko ruffles the girl's hair and gives Kurama a don't-screw-this-up look as she goes back into the kitchen. He's surprised when Hiei is the first to speak.

"Tell us about your father."

"Which one?"

"The demon," Hiei says. He's circled half-way around the room again and stands by a bookcase full of picture frames. Kurama watches as Hiei sets down a picture frame. In it, two men are holding up a toddler wearing Mickey Mouse ears. There's what looks like a castle in the background.

"I'm not supposed to tell people about Papa being a demon."

"Why not?" Kurama asks.

"Because there's people who want to hurt him, and Daddy, and me."

"Tell us about Daddy then," Kurama says.

The little girl shakes her head. "No, I can't tell demons I don't know about Daddy. They might hurt him."

"Do demons ever try to hurt you?" Hiei asks.

He and Kurama have both picked up on it, the girl's surprisingly strong spirit energy. The man was giving off Shizuru levels of awareness, but this little girl has him beat by a mile. Mia grins and taps her nose.

"Sometimes, but they can never catch me."

And then the little girl is gone. Well, invisible. She's still there, but her energy is masked and she's small enough that Kurama can't see most demons catching her if she ran.

"Very impressive," Kurama says.

"How did you learn to do that?" Hiei demands.

Mia pops back into visibility. "Granny helped me learn!"

"Can you tell us about Granny?" Kurama asks. Hiei's eyes flick to Kurama's but the fox can only shrug. He's not about to wring answers out of an eight-year-old he's been left to distract.

Mia smiles and hops down from the table.

"Don't you know about Granny already? You're her friends!"

"She doesn't like to talk about herself," Kurama says.

Hiei has sunk into observing silence and settles into the corner where he can watch everything in the room and part of the street through the window.

Mia opens the cabinet beside the TV, revealing a neat stack of old books. She drags out the largest and what looks to be the oldest and plops it on the coffee table.

"A long long time ago Granny married Great-great-great-and-some-more-greats grandpa Myōgibō." She opens the book to page showing a family tree. Kurama and Hiei both step closer and follow the tracery of lines to the top where Chouko's name is linked to Myōgibō's. "That's a picture of them," Mia says, pointing to the wall. "They were married during the first year of Empress Meishō's reign."

Kurama looks up to find an early Edo-period painting on the wall. It shows a traditional beauty and a tengu in a mountain setting. He remembers glancing over something similar in Chouko's room, a reproduction of this one he assumes. He carefully ignores the look Hiei is giving him.

"Then Myōgibō died and Granny and Uncle Jiro moved to Tokyo, only it was Edo at the time."

"Why did they move?" Hiei asks.

That Hiei asks surprises Kurama, but not at much as Mia's answer.

"Because Uncle Jiro's and great-grandad's dad, Sojobo, wanted to kill Granny before she could have her baby. So they left Kyoto and came to live with some tanuki here. Then Granny had her baby, my great-great-great-and-some grandma. She grew up and liked humans so much she married one." Mia flips through the book to show them a photo of another painting, this time of a completely human-looking couple. "They died in the Great Fire, so did most of their kids."

Mia turns the page to show a reproduction of the famous print of the Great Fire of Meireki in 1657.

"After that, Granny asked Uncle Jiro to look after everyone and left Japan. She only came back when my grandpa got eaten by demons. We're the only ones left: Daddy, and me, and Auntie."

"Your grandfather was eaten by demons?" Hiei asks.

"Uh-huh."

Mia flips through the book until she reaches one of the last few pages. The picture she points to shows a family of four all dressed in yukata. Kurama recognizes the two children from the picture of Chouko and Jiro on the Tokyo Tower, but here they're a few years younger and smiling.

"There's Grandpa and Grandma, and Daddy and Auntie. Grandpa was an exorcist but one time the demons got him. Auntie took over the temple when she was old enough. She hates demons so she won't ever come over here and we can only go visit without Papa."

Chouko emerges from the kitchen. She spots the book and her eyebrows go up as she looks at Kurama.

"Mia, you and Daddy are going to go visit Auntie for a few days. Why don't you run upstairs and pick out some clothes to bring?"

The little girl picks up her new demon bird toy and runs back up the stairs.

Chouko's face is unreadable as she moves towards them. She's got something in her hand and her attention focuses on Hiei.

"Since you're here, I'd like to ask you a favor. I want you to look for Hide. It shouldn't be hard, I have his ring."

She holds out her hand and opens her fingers. A large gold ring sits in the middle of her palm and Kurama can smell the lingering traces of another demon on it. There's also a fair amount of youki still attached, so it must have been something he wore often. It's only when he looks at Chouko's expression that Kurama realizes it's a wedding ring.

"Saito found it on the doorstep the morning after Hide went missing."

That's enough to pique Hiei's interest and he takes the ring from her as he pulls off his bandana. The Jagan springs to life, bathing the room in its purple glow. Its energy grows and spreads out as it begins the search. Kurama and Chouko watch in silence. Finally, after what seems like an uncomfortable eternity, Hiei opens his normal eyes and hands back the ring.

"There are three options: he's dead, he's not in the human world, or he's blocked from my eye by wards."

Chouko sighs and sets the ring down on the coffee table like it's some dangerous artifact.

"I thought as much."

* * *

_Jac Grove, Chouko isn't a butterfly, but you're right about why she picked the name!_

_Nevvy, thanks :) ha ha she has had a lot of kids, which is going to come up now and again and is something Kurama is going to have to get over_

_Unita, thanks! And don't worry, she's not a spider. The Tokyo demons could certainly use some of Chouko's advice about being more flexible as there are more makai demons coming over that they have to deal with._

_Gimei, thanks :) yeah, you're right, he's mostly using it as an excuse to snoop around and follow her, but I also think that he doesn't really believe anyone is fully capable of taking care of themselves, he's spent too much time around Yusuke and Kuwabara after all_

_ChuyaDud, thanks! I've been rewatching the Dark Tournament episodes and Hiei and Kurama are such sarcastic jerks, it's why I love them._

_Chloe, thanks, but then all the tension would be gone! ;)_

_verry-chan, thanks! I thought it would be a fun change to write from his perspective _

_Guest, thanks!_


	23. Chapter 23

23

_I have successfully moved! But sadly I am still unpacking and homework is taking up most of my free time...le sigh. Updates will probably be slower for a while guys so I'd recommend adding this to your story alerts if you want to know when the next chapter comes out but don't want to have to keep checking back._

Hakudoshi-9 Thanks! Does is read it in a computer-voice?

Chloe, thanks! I have a lot of fun thinking about Chouko's past lives and ways to reference them, so I'm glad you're liking them too!

Shush Love, thanks so much! I really appreciate it! I love adding in all the extra details about the world and it makes me really happy to hear you're enjoying them!

* * *

Chouko looks smaller suddenly, tired and diminished. She brushes out her skirt and lets out another sigh.

"We should go."

She disappears into the kitchen again and Kurama hears murmured conversation but doesn't listen in. Hiei is clearly not so respectful and his eyes reflect annoyance but he won't meet Kurama's stare. Chouko reemerges a moment later and ushers them out the door. There are no goodbyes to Mia and Chouko acts as if the humans wouldn't even have noticed the demons in their midst.

Out on the street Kurama feels like he can breathe again, like he's free from the oppressive atmosphere of the house, the lingering smell of tears and a man who's probably not coming back. Chouko starts walking but not back toward the train station.

"You expected Hiei wouldn't be able to find the missing demon?" Kurama says once they're a block away; he's decided to follow and see what she's up to. Hiei is still with them and it's making Kurama desperately curious. He knows he's missing something here.

"Ward leaders have to wait a week to investigate, but this is family. Hide is dead. His body turned up three days ago in the demon world. I didn't get to see it myself so I was hoping it was a misidentification."

"Hn, so you already knew."

Kurama looks at Hiei, who rolls his eyes in response.

"Mukuro wants to know who's dumping the corpses of human world demons in her backyard. It may be a desert but it's no trash heap for the human world. That's why I'm here."

"How many have there been?" Chouko asks. Her voice is steady but tense and the worry in her eyes is unsettling.

"Four."

"Over how long a time frame?"

"Two months."

"Where were the others from?" Kurama asks. Now he's getting curious about the problem itself and not just prying.

"This Hide was the first one we could track back easily. We didn't bother trying with the first."

"What was missing?" Chouko says.

"What are you talking about?" Hiei snaps. He's never been a fan of being the messenger. It requires too much talking to other people.

"From the bodies, what parts of them were missing?"

"Nothing that we noticed. They were just dead."

"From what cause?" Kurama cuts in again before Chouko can say something that will set Hiei off.

"Poison."

Chouko's startled and the information makes Kurama uneasy. It's not a normal attack, most demons consider poison beneath them. What's even stranger is that it worked against a high level demon. They're largely impervious to any sort of poison or illness. Anything other than overwhelming injury or boredom is an unusual cause of death.

Chouko turns down another street. Her heels click against the pavement in an angry tattoo. Hiei and Kurama exchange a glance before following her.

"Watch out for this one," Hiei says telepathically and Kurama frowns.

"You usually don't feel the need to remind me of such basic things," Kurama fires back and he doesn't care how peevish he might come across.

Hiei's eyes narrow and he nearly disappears. Kurama feels vindicated when he sees the smaller man's form flicker, hopes it's a sign that deep-down somewhere Hiei feels some sort of guilt.

"You are usually more careful about choosing your acquaintances, Kurama."

Chouko comes to a stop ahead of them at the door to a hole-in-the-wall sort of restaurant. The sign above the door is crooked and the plastic models of food in the one small window have faded to the point where their colors don't quite match the colors of the food they're meant to be. It's not the sort of place Kurama would ever go in on his own even from morbid curiosity, but looks like the sort of terrible place Yusuke loves.

"Lunch?" Chouko says and opens the door.

She's walked blocks out of the way to get here, so there must be a reason, either it's the worst possible restaurant she could think of and she's playing an unpleasant game or there's something else going on. Even the possibility of what Chouko considers terrible food tempts Kurama in some strange way and he finds himself following her through the door. He doesn't look at Hiei and he carefully ignores the smaller demon's attempts to stare an angry hole through the back of his head.

The restaurant is bigger on the inside, but it's still dark and cramped. There's a handful of densely packed tables and what looks like an assortment of chairs picked up at garage sales and off the sidewalk. Only one table is occupied, by two men who look yakuza and give the three demons side-eye as they enter. A middle-aged woman sits behind a small counter reading the paper. She glances up at them and then smiles as she lays eyes on Chouko.

"Hey Granny. I heard the news about Hide. What a shame!"

"Granny?" Kurama says aloud. He wonders if this is yet another one of her descendants and cringes internally at the thought.

"In the twenty years I've known her she hasn't aged a day, and young Saito calls her Granny." The woman shrugs. "I'll tell the cook you're here."

She slides of her chair and shuffles down the short length of the restaurant through the door to the kitchen. Kurama follows Chouko to a table near the back and Hiei brings up the rear. Chouko takes a seat with her back to the restaurant, which shows the sort of trust Kurama is convinced this place doesn't deserve, but as Hiei stalks around the table Kurama realizes she's done it so neither Hiei nor he will have to.

"I wanted to go somewhere I knew there would be no chance of eavesdroppers," Chouko says as the men take their seats.

Kurama leans back and returns to suspicious look he's getting from the gangsters.

"Not them," she says with a roll of her eyes. "Runners for the other ward leaders."

"We're all being watched at least part of the time and they all want to know what's going on here."

"And you're not going to tell them?"

"I'll tell them when I know enough." She shrugs and glances between Kurama and Hiei. "The last thing I need is someone catching half a sentence and causing a panic."

"The poison," Hiei remarks.

Just the word makes Kurama uneasy, but there's been something else nagging at the back of Kurama's mind. The woman comes out of the kitchen and walks over.

"Where do you think Hide's run off to?" she asks and hands over some grimy menus. Kurama tries not to flinch.

"I don't know, but I'm worried he might not be coming back."

"If he did you'd give him more than an earful for treating young Saito this way." There's an adge of nervousness in her voice but Kurama can't guess the reason for it.

"I certainly would. Jiro and I are probably going to ask someone we know to come out here for a week or two and watch things over, do you think people would be fine with that?"

The woman gives a faint, relieved smile. "As long as it's someone you know I think we'd all be happy to have them. Now what will the boys be having?"

Kurama hasn't even looked at the menu yet. Hiei set his on the table and is glaring at it like it's going to talk bak to him. Kurama just picks the first thing on the menu and is happy to be rid of the filthy paper.

"And he'll have the bulgogi," Kurama adds when Hiei makes no move to order.

Chouko arches an eyebrow and looks faintly amused while the woman shuffles off with their orders. Kurama doesn't appreciate that expression right now and he feels like he's lost his grip on the conversation, Chouko and Hiei keep catching him off guard.

"Earlier, you weren't startled by Hiei," Kurama says and watches for her reaction. Hiei crosses his arms and sits back in his seat, watching.

"No, I've been expecting him."

"Oh, really?" Kurama keeps his tone polite but the warning signs are going off in his head.

Chouko shrugs elegantly and Hiei's eyes slide towards her.

"Hiei visits Tokyo every 4 to 6 weeks. It's been five weeks since the last time he was in the human world. On each visit he spends 10-15 minutes perched on the roof of one of three buildings that gives a good view into Kuwabara and Yukina's apartment. Then he goes to Shibuya and spends less than ten minutes with you."

Hiei gives Chouko a look like he just realized he underestimated her. Kurama does his best to keep his face neutral and not let any of the bubbling anger show. Chouko purses her lips as she examines both their faces.

"Do you think I'm stupid enough not to keep track of a very powerful, slightly unpredictable demon who visits my ward every month? The tanuki nearly panicked last year, the first time we sensed him hovering around. It's lucky I was near their house at the time; I went over and stopped them from going to confront him immediately. We've had our people keep a lookout and compared notes. The pattern didn't change much after you arrived, Kurama, so I don't really think it's fair for you to give me that look."

He tries to force his face to be neutral and realizes he's already doing it: the dead-eyed stare he slips into when he's bottling everything away. Instead he sighs and lets the annoyance out and oddly the tension at the table relaxes slightly.

"I know where everyone works, I know where everyone lives, I know when any major changes happen. Don't you?" she says.

"Yes, but—"

Hiei isn't doing a good job of hiding his dark amusement. "But what, you thought she was going to treat you differently?" he asks sardonically.

Yes, Kurama supposes, he had thought that. He had thought they were pretending to be normal. He had thought she'd extend him the same courtesy he had to her: of not tracking her movements and acting like she didn't pose a threat to him.

He sighs and lets the annoyance slip into resignation.

"Let's not forget who broke into who's house this morning," Chouko quips. "I don't sneak into your bedroom and go riffling through your personal things when you're cleaning up breakfast."

"I suppose that's fair," Kurama replies. "But I'm not monitoring your visitors."

"I'm not monitoring yours either, just him," she nods at Hiei, who is clearly pleased to be seen as such a threat, he's got that special gloating frown on. Kurama wants to dump him out of his chair.

"As enthralling as all of this is," Hiei cuts in, "is there any possibility of getting to the point, or am I wasting my time?"

"Gladly," Chouko says. "How were they poisoned?"

"There were puncture marks. They all had several of them but in different places: arms, neck, chest.

"Do you know what kind of poison?

"No."

"Maybe I should go to demon world and take a look at the bodies," Kurama suggests. He doesn't really want to go, he's sworn the place off, but for something so serious he can make an exception. Hiei shakes his head.

"There's no bodies left to see, they liquified from the inside out."

Chouko looks like she's going to be sick.

Kurama can't help thinking that this is exactly the sort of thing he was trying not to get involved with again.

* * *

Comments always greatly appreciated!


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